


Sons and Daughters

by Soozen



Series: Rabbit Heart [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: ATLA: Friendship is Magic, Action/Adventure, Airbender Ty Lee (Avatar), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Brainwashing, But not exactly, But there are Air Nomads in her family history, Crazy Azula (Avatar), Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Hypnosis, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I am honored to accept his invitation, Jet (Avatar) Lives, Jet is somehow in worse trouble than in Ba Sing Se, Minor Mai/Zuko, Minor Sokka/Suki, Past abusive friendship, Protective Zuko (Avatar), Rare Pairings, Romance, The Dai Li (Avatar), The character death is not who you expect so don't worry, The earth king has invited you to lake laogai, Third season rewrite, Ty Lee and Aang become best friends, Ty Lee becomes everyone's friend, Ty Lee learns what it is like to have real friends, Ty lee gains a backbone, but with extra Jet and Ty Lee fun, pretty much follows the major plot of season three, some violence but nothing too major
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:07:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 99,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24643795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soozen/pseuds/Soozen
Summary: In which Jet survives Lake Laogai and joins Team Avatar as they prepare for the Day of Black Sun.In which Ty Lee meets Jet as Team Avatar makes their way through the Fire NationIn which their lives are changed forever when Azula discovers exactly how the Dai Li had maintained order in Ba Sing Se.------My own version of 'season three but Jet lives!'This was supposed to be so focused on Jet and his growth, but has rapidly turned into Ty Lee's story of learning her worth and what real friendship actually looks like.
Relationships: Azula & Ty Lee (Avatar), Jet & The Gaang, Jet/Ty Lee, Mai & Ty Lee (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (background), Sokka/Suki (Background), Ty Lee & Aang, Ty Lee & The Gaang
Series: Rabbit Heart [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1884745
Comments: 91
Kudos: 86





	1. Sons and Daughters

**Author's Note:**

> Accompanying playlist:
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2fYMKVtqxHQtpbXJH53mdl
> 
> I make playlists to keep me inspired for the theme of my fics, and are what I listen to while I write. This playlist is for the whole of the story, not just this chapter. So if a song seems out of place, we simply haven't reached that point in the fic yet. :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jet escapes Ba Sing Se with Team Avatar.

The night air was cool, crisp, and quiet as they flew on the sky bison's saddle. All were awake, watching Katara intently as she attempted to heal Aang, who was as still as he had been when Katara showed up, carrying him in her arms. Still, Jet couldn't help but wonder where that special water had been when the Dai Li had nearly killed him.

No, he reminded himself with the barest shake of his head. That was a selfish thought; whatever magical properties that water held were clearly needed for more important things- or more important people.

Even if he was certain that he had a few cracked ribs.

No one moved, no one breathed as Katara did all she could, the water disappearing into the wound on the Avatar's back. And then, Aang's tattoos glowed briefly, and he gasped, and though he did not seem to fully wake, his chest continued to rise and fall. The many occupants of the saddle let out a collective sigh, and beside Jet, Smellerbee slumped back against the rim of the saddle.

"Hey." With a not so gentle poke to his side, Toph leaned closer to Jet, whispering, "Is he…?"

"He's alive," Jet murmured back. It felt wrong to speak loudly, as Katara continued to hold Aang..

The Avatar was alive, barely. They had all escaped Ba Sing Se with their lives, but again, barely. And somehow, they had the Earth King and a bear in the saddle with them. Jet hadn't been privy to exactly why the king was fleeing with them, but he could guess.

They were not flying fast with all the weight the bison was carrying. It was not a good idea to cram eight people and a bear on, but Jet felt it best not to suggest they lose some weight. They might decide to leave him and Longshot and Smellerbee behind. Jet was hardly walking yet, certainly not at all without help. His leg was broken, and certainly so were a couple of his ribs. It had been luck, Jet had decided, more than anything else, that he had gotten out of Lake Laogai. Luck, and loyal friends. Longshot and Smellerbee had refused to leave him behind, and thankfully, they had found the Avatar and his friends again when coming topside.

There was no doubt in Jet's mind he would be dead right now otherwise.

For several hours they flew south, everyone quiet, tensely quiet. As the sun crept over the horizon, the sky bison slowly started descending.

"Why are we going down?" King Kuei inquired, peering over the side of the saddle. The bear beside him let out a low grumble. "We don't seem to be very far from Ba Sing Se."

It took everything in Jet's self-control not to snap at the king's idiocy, and thankfully, it was Sokka who answered the fool. "Appa is carrying a lot more weight than he ever does. He can't fly as far or as fast with so many people…"

The implication was there. When they landed, the extra weight would have to find another route. But another route to where? Jet hadn't even considered where they- where he and Longshot and Smellerbee- would be going. The opportunity to get out of that cursed city was too good of one to miss. His eyes met Longshot's. The young man merely nodded at him:

 _Where you go, I will follow_.

Jet did not deserve that loyalty, not anymore. There had been a lot of poor decisions on his part, and he had led them into further danger through his own bullheadedness.

When they landed, the rag-tag group did its best to make camp. Jet was useless, which he hated. It took both Longshot and Sokka together to get him out of the saddle. Somehow, the Earth King was even more useless. He was so preoccupied with ensuring his bear's wellbeing that everything else fell to Sokka, Toph, and Longshot. Katara refused to leave Aang's side, to no one's surprise. Smellerbee, however….

"You don't need to hover over me," Jet spoke to Smellerbee, as she fussed over ensuring he was propped up just so.

"You can't even shift without being in pain; stop being such a hero." Smellerbee rolled her eyes at him, but she did shift ever so slightly away.

A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. She was loyal to a fault. It was a valuable trait for a Freedom Fighter, but those days were long gone.

With a sigh, Jet once again closed his eyes. If the rest of the group had any sense, they would be doing the same. They would be of no use to anyone without any sleep.

* * *

The sun was at its highest point when Jet opened his eyes again. Smellerbee was curled up at his side, Longshot just on the other side of her, his arm gently draped over her middle. Nearby, the Earth King was surprisingly sleeping nearly on top of the bear, and Sokka was sprawled out by the dying fire. Katara and Toph were awake, sitting on either side of Aang, not far from where Jet was..

The camp they'd made was not the most secluded one Jet had ever seen. They had landed in a clearing near some trees, but they were not tall enough or great enough in number to provide any cover. Beyond them, Jet could just barely see the great outer wall of Ba Sing Se. The city was still so close, too close for any comfort.

With a grunt in pain, Jet forced himself into a seated position, causing Katara to jump slightly at the noise. She looked over at him, dark circles heavy under her eyes; she had not slept once.

"Jet," she said by way of greeting, as if in surprise to see him at all.

"Morning," he nodded, then squinted at the sun. "Or rather, afternoon." Looking back over the camp, he again adjusted his position, despite the pain it caused. It was better to be sitting, he reasoned. No matter the pain.

"Any sign of-" he started to ask, only to be cut off by the Toph.

"I'll be able to feel if anyone is coming," she assured him. "No one is close for miles. We're as safe here as we're going to be."

Silence settled in again. Jet let his gaze fall upon Aang. The boy was still but breathing. Asleep or in a coma, Jet could not be certain.

"What, uh, what happened to him?"

Katara stiffened, biting her lip, her eyes on Aang. "Azula," she said simply, as if that was enough explanation.

"Who's that?" Jet probed when it was obvious that she was not going to expand on her answer.

"The Fire Nation princess," Toph supplied. "She's…ruthless. She chased us everywhere."

"She struck Aang with lighting while he was in the Avatar State," Katara spoke quietly. "He's- he's especially vulnerable then. I thought- I really had thought she'd killed him."

Fire Nation princess. Lightning. Could fire benders really use lightning? A terrifying thought. But…. Something nagged in his mind, about the princess, and the avatar, and their current situation. As Jet ruminated upon it, the others began to stir; first Sokka, then King Kuei and his bear. As soon as the bear let out a loud growl as it stretched, Smellerbee and Longshot jolted awake.

With everyone awake, breakfast was prepared- a meager breakfast at that. There had been no time to grab supplies, no chance to ensure they had what they needed for a journey of who knows what length. Breakfast happened to be whatever Smellerbee had managed to snag in a moment's notice: a single loaf of bread to be split among them, and platypus-bear jerky. Everyone received a single bread slice, and hardly more than a mouthful of the jerky.

"Eat up fast," Sokka was saying after the rations had been doled out. "We're going to want to get in the air fast; we're dangerously close to Ba Sing Se. I'm surprised Azula hasn't caught up to us yet, actually, but we can't give her the chance to."

 _Hadn't caught up to us yet_ …. Not much had been told to Jet about the Fire Nation princess, but that did not go well with the description Toph had given. If she were so ruthless, why would she have just let them go?

That was it! "She's not chasing us," Jet piped up confidently, earning him a scrutinizing scowl from Sokka.

"And how do you know that? You don't even know who she is, or what she is like. We've been chased by her before, and-"

"Yeah, Toph was telling me," Jet cut Sokka off. "Look, if she's hunted you guys all over, then attacked Aang when, according to Katara, he's vulnerable, then suddenly stops, there's only one good reason: she thinks the Avatar is dead. Why hunt a corpse?"

All eyes were on him, as if he had said something completely outlandish. Sokka let out an exasperated sigh. "Look, Jet, you don't-"

Sokka was interrupted for the second time that morning, this time by Katara. "No, he's right," she said slowly. "I… I thought he had died. You didn't see him fall, how- how lifeless he was then. If Azula had thought there was a possibility Aang survived, I don't…. I don't think we would've made it out of the city."

Sokka raised a brow at his sister. "I don't know…."

"It took us far too long to get everyone," Toph spoke up. "I mean, Katara had to get to us, and then we had to get to Appa. It makes sense, Sokka. I don't think we have anyone on our trail."

At last, Sokka conceded. "Okay, so that is one problem solved," he said, settling back down on the ground to eat with the rest of them. "But-" and he took a bite of the jerky as he spoke, "-we have more, maybe bigger issues to work out."

"Such as?" asked Kuei, and Jet was convinced there was no bigger idiot than this once king. Did the man have no common sense?

"Food," Smellerbee said flatly, obviously as irritated with the Earth King as Jet was. "Supplies. A destination."

"Right." Sokka shoved the rest of his ration of bread in his mouth before reaching over to his bag and produced a map. Unrolling it, he spread it flat on the ground. "It looks like there should be a small town only a couple of miles from here. We could probably get some supplies- and new clothes for you, your Highness- there. But I don't like the idea of flying there on Appa. Azula may not be after us right now, but I still would rather avoid any unnecessary attention."

"Longshot and I will go," Smellerbee volunteered. "We can be there and back by nightfall."

It was decided. They duo were given all they had to barter with; the little money that was pooled from them all and the Earth King's jade necklace. Kuei offered more of his finery, but anything more would have been suspicious for two scruffy looking teens to try to sell.

The afternoon passed slowly. Sokka had managed to convince Katara to sleep, which was good. The poor girl's eyes were so heavy lidded, it seemed that sheer will alone was keeping her awake. Toph had promised to keep close watch over Aang (though how exactly without sight was not clear to Jet), to give Katara some peace of mind. Once satisfied that Katara was resting, Sokka announced that he was going to try to hunt for something for them to eat for supper.

Jet had little confidence that Sokka would come back with much of anything but managed to hold his tongue. They had saved him back in Ba Sing Se, even after his history with them. Without their collective efforts, he would have remained a pawn of Long Feng's.

He shivered at the thought.

Jet jolted out of his thoughts when Kuei came to sit next to him. "I do not know if we've formally met," he said, his tone friendly and much more optimistic than the situation called for. "I'm Kuei, and this-" he gestured to the bear than sat behind him. "-is Bosco. He's a bear! Just a bear, isn't that clever? I'd never known of only a bear existing before him, and we've been inseparable since I took him in to my palace." He smiled broadly, before it faded slowly, as the realization that it was no longer his palace. "Ah, well, how do you know, uh, everyone? And who are your companions?"

The earth king might not have much common sense, but he was friendly enough. "I'm Jet. The girl is Smellerbee-" And at the confusion on Kuei's face, Jet knew he had to be clearer. "-And the archer is Longshot. We met Aang, Katara, and Sokka a few months ago, in a forest to the west of the Serpent's Pass." Jet paused, grimacing when he took a breath too deep and his ribs protested the movement quite angrily. "We didn't part with the Avatar on the best of terms, but I think that's behind us now."

"If you don't mind me asking, how is it that you are so injured?"

Jet let out a chuckle. "You can thank your Dai Lee agents for that."

"Oh." The upbeat tone of Kuei's voice dissipated, leaving only gentleness. "I apologize for how…. For how little awareness I had for the on goings of Ba Sing Se. I fear I…allowed for the city to fall."

That was a point Jet would not argue. He knew little enough how to rule a city- or a kingdom, at that. It did not seem likely that the king was wrong.

Longshot and Smellerbee returned at dusk with enough supplies to last them a week, provided they did not feed the bear. Jet doubted that would be possible, considering how much Kuei doted on the beast. And, Smellerbee produced new clothes for Kuei. Wherever they would go, he would stick out like a sore thumb in all his finery.

Surprisingly, Sokka had been successful in his hunting trip, managing to kill a hopping possum, which was currently roasting over the fire. Between the new provisions and the fresh kill, they ate a somewhat hearty meal, giving them all full stomachs to rest on.

In the morning, a new discussion arose: what was the plan going forward?

For this discussion, a simple look to Longshot and Smellerbee told them to keep quiet. Sokka, Toph, and Katara had a vastly different set of needs than they did. Let them work out their own plan, and then Jet could brainstorm with Smellerbee and Longshot for where they should go.

"We need to get Aang to the north pole," Katara was arguing. "He needs healers stronger than me."

"We won't make it there," Sokka dismissed with a shake of his head. He was staring down at the map with a frown. "We will have to backtrack, go over Ba Sing Se, and the last thing we need is to temp that Fire Princess into shooting us down with her lightning magic!"

"Then we will go around Ba Sing Se," Katara insisted.

"We're too slow," Toph put in. "Appa's all weighed down with so many people, not to mention Bosco. It's going to take us twice as long to get anywhere!"

An uncomfortable silence fell over the group. Jet exhaled through his nose. Should the three of them volunteer to stay behind? That was a death sentence for him, and all present knew it.

"…I may have a solution to that problem," Kuei spoke up. "Bosco and I will go our own way from here."

Jet coughed. From the look on everyone else's faces, they clearly had the same thought. "You, uh, sure you'll be fine on your own? I mean, you've never had to do anything for yourself, right?"

Clearly, he had not, and Kuei knew this, for he nodded solemnly. "I haven't, you are right. But I thought that, perhaps, you three would accompany me, as, ah, guides of sorts." He nodded to the three Freedom Fighters. "Until I figure it out on my own, at least."

It had not seemed possible for Kuei to come up with a half decent plan, and yet, as Jet stared at the former king, he could see something coming to fruition there. There was only one problem

"Jet can't walk." Smellerbee was staring at Kuei as if he were stupid. "How is he supposed to get around?"

"He can ride Bosco!"

And there was where Kuei's plan was not entirely thought out. The basis of it, was not bad. Not bad at all.

"No, I won't be able to travel that way," Jet said with a shake of his head. "I'll just break another rib that way. But…"

He looked to Smellerbee and Longshot. His two most loyal companions, the Freedom Fighters that had been with him from the beginning. No. Not Freedom Fighters. That was in the past. They were not tied to him anymore; they could move on without him.

Longshot nodded knowingly, but Smellerbee's eyes went wide, and she shook her head furiously. "No. No, Jet. We are a team-"

"Were a team," he corrected her. "You said it yourself, Smellerbee. We've gone straight now, no more Freedom Fighters. We can split up. We should split up."

"No."

"Smellerbee," Jet smirked at her, but there was only gentleness in his tone. "You've done well. We've always looked out for each other, right? This is what is best for us. I'll slow you guys down, and you all-" He gestured to the king and his bear, and Longshot and Smellerbee. "-will only slow down the saving of the Avatar."

Smellerbee's lips were a thin line, her eyes harsh as she stared at him, but at last, she relented, and nodded. Longshot placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"So…Jet's coming with us?" Toph asked.

"It's not a bad plan," Sokka said, surprising Jet that he had agreed with him. "Jet, you probably wouldn't make it far with them, and this way, we can drop you off at a town with a doctor, or something. Hey, maybe Katara could even work on healing you!" However, at Katara's wide eyes, Sokka back-pedaled. "Or she can save her healing for only Aang, and we stick with leaving Jet with a doctor."

"Okay, but where are we going?"

Right. Toph had a point. They knew the different parties, but then the destination was still called into question.

"The Northern Water tribe," Katara reminded them, an edge to her voice. "Aang needs a healer. One better than me."

"I don't like the idea of flying though. Appa isn't exactly inconspicuous, and he and Aang go hand in hand…." Sokka trailed off, grimacing. "We'll be shot out of the sky if any Fire Nation spot us."

"So what's your idea then?" Katara challenged him. "We don't have time to argue, Sokka!"

The bickering between the siblings was, on one hand, a little amusing, for even in the tensest of situations, they found a way to combat each other. But, on the other hand, it was tiresome. They needed a plan. And once again, Sokka was sounding a little logical.

Of course, Sokka had been the one to figure out how to outsmart him. He did have good ideas, after all.

"Chameleon Bay!" Sokka exclaimed, suddenly pointed at the map. "We're just north of it. Dad is there, they've got ships, we will be surrounded by friends and allies. And… I know you want to get Aang up to the pole, Katara, but…what about the eclipse? That's the wrong direction, it'll just make things more difficult to stick to the plan-"

"What plan? Sokka, Aang could be seriously injured-"

"And the north pole is ages away. Katara, if Aang is as dire as you think he is, he might not, you now, make it if we try to go all the way to the north pole. There are healers with dad. It's Aang's best bet."

Sense seemed to be reaching Katara, though from her set jaw and harsh brown, it was clear she did not like it. "Fine! But we need to leave now."

"Finally!" Toph let out an exasperated sigh and jumped to her feet. "Let's get this show on the road and save Twinkle-Toes!"

The goodbyes were bittersweet. It was good for them to go their separate ways, Jet tried to tell himself, as he watched Smellerbee and Longshot start off away from the sky bison. They had spent so many years together, following his lead, it was time they took their own path. It was time he took his own. He kept his eyes on them even as Appa took flight, as they got smaller and smaller, until they broke through the clouds and he could no longer see them.

"Are you doing okay, Jet?"

Toph plunked down by him. It was still strange, how vacant her stare was, yet how sturdy and sure-footed she was. If her eyes were not so milky, he'd have never guessed she was blind at all.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He exhaled slowly and looked at everyone else. Sokka had taken the reigns, and Katara was at Aang's side, coaxing him to drink from a skin of water. Thankfully, it seemed to be working.

The kid might just make it.

* * *

Ty Lee was nothing if not flexible.

True, she could bend her body into just about any position, and often enjoyed finding new ways to move about. But she was not only flexible in body, but in spirit as well. Born into a family of far too many daughters, each more alike than the next? She merely found a way to use the talents she had to use to stand out. Not finding the happiness she desired in her own family? That was fine, she could move onto bigger and better things: the circus!

And should a certain Fire Princess show up wanting her to join in on some sort of mission and was not willing to take no for an answer? Ty Lee could change all her plans and go with her friend.

That said, it was something of a great relief to be homeward bound. As much as she tried to act unbothered by the fighting, by the traveling and the strange landscape of the Earth Kingdom and its unfamiliar architecture, it would, admittedly be nice to be going home.

She could finally return to her life at the circus.

The biggest relief for her was that, once they were back on Fire Nation soil, her life could go back to normal. No more traveling. No more fighting. Ty Lee _really_ hated fighting.

Presently, she was stretching through a series of yoga positions, while Azula sat nearby, not speaking, but certainly lost in thought. Such was her way, and Ty Lee knew better than interrupt or pry. Better to be seen as a ditz than snoopy. Zuko and Mai were off…elsewhere, obviously orchestrated by Azula.

"Ty Lee."

She stood up, so that her back was to the princess, then bent over backwards to look at her. "What is it, Azula?"

"The water tribe peasant."

Azula provided nothing further to her thoughts, forcing Ty Lee to probe. "Which one? The cute one with the ponytail?"

The princess rolled her eyes and huffed a sigh. "No. The girl. She…seemed to have made a connection of sorts with my dear brother."

"But you said he fought with you against her," Ty Lee said, confused. She gracefully moved to a standing position again and faced Azula. The princess' face was unreadable.

"Hn." The non-committal noise also raised questions that Ty Lee dared not ask. "Yes, I know. He certainly had to…come to that conclusion, and not quickly enough. Whatever the water bender had said to him was enough to make him hesitate."

"You don't think he's untrustworthy, do you?"

Another soft exhale from Azula, who finally turned her gaze to Ty Lee. "I don't know. However, with Mai around, I don't think he's going to go running off to do something…stupid. Still, I'd like to keep my friends close. Ty Lee, you weren't planning on running off to join the circus again when we return, were you?"

Ty Lee swallowed, then quickly smiled. "Of course not, Azula!"

"Good." The princess returned to her quiet musing, and after a moment, Ty Lee resumed her stretches.

She was nothing if not flexible.

* * *

By the next evening, Appa had reached the Water Tribe camp in Chameleon Bay. Aang's state had not changed, and, on a similar note, neither had Jet's. Katara had continually attempted to heal Aang, but had murmured something (in frustration, it seemed) about not understanding the wound well enough. Jet did not understand enough about all that bending and healing magic, and he wasn't about to irritate her by asking her about it. Or, asking her to heal him.

Honestly, Jet was less than impressed by the Water Tribe camp. He had seen the Fire Nation army, in their pristine, identical uniforms, their metal ships; he'd seen the Earth Kingdom's soldiers aligned in strength, a true force to be reckoned with. But this?

There were ships, with sails, made of wood. The tents seemed rustic, made by whatever materials could be gathered. The men did not have uniforms, only united by the colors they wore. It reminded Jet of the Freedom Fighters, and he could see why the Southern Water Tribe had fallen so swiftly. The Freedom Fighters had been a rag-tag group of kids, united by an ideal but not in strength. They had been successful because they had been sneaky, not unified.

Hopefully, the water tribe were stronger than they appeared.

Men came to greet them, apparently familiar with the sky bison, and more so with Sokka and Katara. Aang was helped from the saddle first, Katara stuck to the kid like glue, and then, several men helped Jet out as well, carrying him to the medical tent. It was fairly spacious, clearly meant to hold many injured, but presently, the only two cots that were occupied were by himself, and the Avatar. Unsurprisingly so, a small crowd was around the kid, as Sokka and Katara filled in whoever was in charge with what had happened to him.

Letting out a sigh, Jet let settled in for a long night of pain. He knew how this would go. The more important the individual, the more attention they received for their injuries. Who was more important than the Avatar? He tried to ignore the talking, and attempted to sleep, despite the constant pain whenever he took in a breath.

It was of great surprise, after a long stretch of silence that a man- the healer, no doubt- announced that there was nothing more to be done for the Avatar.

"What do you mean?" Katara cried out, and Jet could hear the threat of tears in her voice. "You mean he's-"

"Katara, calm." It was a different man's voice; deep, but soothing. Must be her father.

"He may yet live," the first voice spoke. "In fact, I would be surprised if he did not. You did great work, healing him when you did. All we can do now is wait for him to wake up."

"How long?"

"Hard to say. A day, maybe two, or maybe a month. You said he took water? That is a good sign. We will keep him hydrated, feed him broth, and we will wait."

It was hardly the answer they were hoping for, but far from the worst news. Katara broke down in sobs, possibly from relief. Jet kind of wished he were at her side to offer comfort, but a quick glance over in that direction revealed that Sokka had taken up that role, enveloping his sister in a hug.

"But, onto the next patient…."

The attention was now on Jet. A somewhat stocky older man, with a head full of white hair tied back in a wolf-tail came to Jet's side, followed by the man he assumed to be Katara's father. "What's your name, son?" the healer asked.

"Jet."

The healer nodded, but it was the other man who spoke, as the healer gently pulled up Jet's shirt to inspect his injuries. "I am Hakoda, chief of the Southern Water Tribe, and this is Kahto. How did you acquire those injuries?"

Jet took in a sharp breath as Kahto gently touched his ribs. "An earth bender thought it'd be nice to hit me with a rock."

"It was Long Feng," Sokka spoke up from across the tent. "The head of the Dai Li. Jet was helping us find Appa."

"I see." Hakoda nodded, looking back to Jet. "Sokka had told me some of what had happened there. It was very brave of you to assist them, though…." He trailed off, then looked over his shoulder. "Sokka, could you join me outside?"

The chief left the tent, Sokka scampering after him. It was harder to ignore the pain from the healer's touches now, without the distraction of conversation.

"Well, it looks like you have some broken ribs," Kahto said, standing up straight.

"Tell me something I don't know," Jet exhaled sarcastically. "Don't forget my leg."

"Oh, that was obvious without further checking," Kahto smiled down at him, and then his smile faded away. "This will not be easy, or quick to heal. It'll take weeks of bedrest, and the bones may not mend properly. I can offer herbs to assist with the pain, but that is where my abilities end. However.…" The healer turned to face Katara. "Your talents could be of great use here, Katara."

Katara looked up sharply, rubbing tears from her cheeks. "What?"

"You healed the Avatar with your water bending. You can certainly help to speed up your friend's healing."

She bit her lip and looked down at the Avatar. "But Aang…."

"He is going to be just fine, I assure you. Your talents are needed here."

Thank the gods. Someone had gotten through to her. Jet almost felt like laughing with relief when Katara nodded and approached his cot, kneeling beside him; only knowing how much that laughter would hurt kept him from doing so.

"Can you get me water, Kahto?" she requested, and the healer nodded to her before leaving to fetch some.

There was a brief moment of silence between them. It suddenly occurred to Jet how awkward this was. They had not actually spoken about what had happened all those months ago when he had tricked her. There hadn't been a chance, everything had happened so swiftly, leading them down beneath Lake Laogai.

"I'm sorry," Katara finally spoke. "I know you were in pain. I should have helped you, too."

Jet could not have stopped his signature smirk if he'd wanted to. "You had your hands full with other things." He paused, thinking it over, getting his wording right. "Listen, I'm so-"

"Here is the water you needed, Katara." Kahto unknowingly interrupted as he returned to the tent. He set a nearly full bucket on the floor beside her before taking a step back, to allow Katara to work.

Whatever sort of spirit magic that happened during the healing part of water bending felt amazing. It felt cool to the touch, and while it was somewhat strange to feel his bones shifting and melding back together, it was so soothing that Jet did not mind in the slightest. It was kind of a shame when Katara finished.

"I think that's it," Katara said, as she pulled her hands from his knee. "Try moving your leg- slowly."

Still laying down, just bent his leg, then straightened it, and bent it again. No pain from just moving it around. The real test would be on his feet, though. He let out a short laugh, and there was no pain in his chest. "Katara," Jet said with a grin, "I think I'm about good as new."

However, when he sat up quickly, so sure that he was well patched up, a sharp pain shot up from his chest, and he let out a hiss, falling back to the cot.

"Maybe not quite as new," he groaned.

The damage to his ribs was more extensive than they had thought. Under Kahto's supervision, it was decided that it would be best to allow Jet the evening to rest, and perhaps Katara could try again in the morning.

* * *

Sokka was tired.

The last few days had been among the most stressful in his life- and really, considering how his life had been since finding the Avatar, that was saying something. All he wanted was to finally get some real rest now that they were in the safety of the Water Tribe camp. Room was made in Hakoda's tent, to allow Sokka and Katara a place to rest.

But the discussion he'd had with his father was keeping him from falling asleep. Sokka frowned deeply, staring at the leather roof of the tent, remembering.

" _I have a question," Hakoda asked, leading Sokka away from the medical tent, "about Jet. You said he had a run in with the Dai Li?"_

_Sokka nodded. "Yeah. I'm pretty sure I told you about them the last time I was here."_

" _You did," his father agreed. "You spoke of how they had…controlled a friend of yours. Altered their memories." Hakoda paused, looking down at Sokka. "Am I right in thinking that Jet is that friend?"_

" _He is, but he's not under their control anymore," Sokka said with a frown. "Are you- you don't think he's a spy, do you?"_

_Hakoda seemed to consider the possibility. "Do you? I wasn't there, Sokka. I only know what you've told me. I can't make that judgement. Does he pose a threat?"_

_Sokka hadn't been prepared for Hakoda to have raised such a serious question; how was he supposed to come to a satisfactory conclusion? Jet had been his usual self since Long Feng had nearly killed him, right? Could he only be playing the long game?_

" _I don't know," he admitted heavily. "And if Jet is being used, he won't know about it either. He didn't know he was being manipulated or brainwashed, even when he was presented with it. But… I don't think he is. Long Feng hadn't meant for Jet to get out of Lake Lao Gai alive."_

_Hakoda nodded slowly, taking it in. "Is there anything else I should know about the…brainwashing?"_

_Was there ever. "I didn't see it," Sokka started slowly, rubbing the back of his neck somewhat nervously. "But Aang had told us, after the fight with Jet and Long Feng, that Long Feng had said something that made Jet follow his orders. The way Aang described it, it was as if Jet had no control over himself, that he was almost like a puppet or something."_

_The way Hakoda's eyes narrowed made Sokka nervous. Not for himself, but for Jet._

" _But he fought it, and ended up fighting Long Feng instead- that's why Long Feng tried to kill him. Maybe he lost control over him because of it! Look, Dad, Jet has had a pretty messed up past, and I didn't always like him, but he's definitely changed. I don't think he's going to put anyone here in danger."_

" _What was it that Long Feng had said? What he said that put Jet under his control?"_

" _I don't know, Aang never said. He's probably the only one who does know." Sokka looked back at the medical tent, frowning. "Trust me. I wouldn't let anyone near Katara if I thought they were dangerous."_

_Slowly, Hakoda nodded, a small smile on his lips. "I'd never think you would, Sokka." And then, he grew serious once more. "I'm sorry to have to put pressure on you. One day you will be leading our tribe, and you will have difficult decisions ahead of you. I'm glad to see you taking this seriously." He exhaled heavily. "We will make sure he is healed, but I will admit that I am hesitant to let him stay much longer than that. As soon as he can walk, it will be time for him to move on."_

* * *

Despite the pain lingering, Jet had a much more restful night's sleep thanks to Katara's careful ministrations. And, judging from the lack of dark circles in her eyes when she entered the tent, she seemed to have finally gotten some worthwhile rest as well. She came in carrying another bucket of water, as well as a bowl filled with some sort of porridge. Though, she looked over to Aang first when she entered, and the disappointment at not seeing any changes was obvious.

"I figured, so long as I'm coming, I might as well bring you breakfast," she said, gently setting the porridge on the table beside Jet's cot.

"That was mighty kind of you."

She nodded, taking a seat beside Jet. "I think it would be best to try to heal first, then eat. In case…anything goes wrong, you won't have a stomach full of food to get sick with."

"Goes wrong?" Jet questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't worry about it too much." She was already carefully pulling his shirt up, to reveal his ribs. "The bruising is mostly gone. It's probably only one stubborn rib at this point."

With a few quick movements, Katara had brought a small amount of water out of the bucket, covered her hands with it, and held it over his ribs. And, just as last night, it felt so soothing, Jet felt himself relax further.

"You had started to say something last night when Kahto returned."

Jet opened his eyes, looking at Katara. Her eyes were focused on his side, but she continued. "What was it?"

"Oh, I uh, I just wanted to tell you, well, let you know that I…." Jet shook his head. "I'm sorry. For what I'd tricked you and Aang into doing. I…was in a bad place then. I shouldn't have done that."

Nothing in Katara's face revealed how she felt, and she continued to silently heal his wounds. Jet did not elaborate. She would accept it, or she wouldn't, the number of words it took for him to say it all did not matter.

A few moments later, she sat back, seemingly done. "Thank you. It's taken me some time to realize that we all…react to this differently. The war." Katara made eye contact with him, finally. "You seem different, Jet. In a good way."

"I'd hope so."

"Okay, try sitting up. Let me know how it feels."

Sitting felt good. Stiff, maybe, but Katara did not seem to be concerned by that. Standing was another issue. A shock of pain went up his leg when he put his weight on it, nearly bringing him to his knees. Katara attempted to heal it again, but only shook her head. She could not find an injury; it was simply the way it had healed.

Days passed. Aang remained somewhere between asleep and a coma with no sign of change. Thankfully, Katara was still able to get water and broth in him. Her days were spent almost entirely in the medical tent, tending to Aang and Jet. While Aang's state was yet unchained, Jet appeared to be making progress.

Kahto had put together a brace for Jet's leg and produced a crutch for him to use until he was steady enough without. The walks he took around the tent were slow, painful, but easier with the brace. It was difficult work, but necessary.

Jet grit his teeth as he another round. The tent was full today; Hakoda and Sokka had come to talk with Katara, to come up with a plan to move forward. At first, Jet tried not to listen, but soon gave up; there was no way to avoid it.

"I don't think we should go anywhere until Aang wakes up," Katara was saying. "He's as safe as he'll ever be here. There's no reason to go."

"Katara, my men- our tribe, we've been out to sea for a long time," Hakoda said gently. "I know how important it is to protect Aang, and we will protect him for as long as we can. But we cannot stay here indefinitely. The longer we remain here, picking off Fire Nation ships when we can, the larger the target we put on ourselves. We will have to move."

"Besides, what about the invasion plan?" Sokka asked. "It's still on, isn't it?"

 _Invasion plan?_ Jet almost paused in his steps then. No. Not his business. Continue walking.

"How can we do it without Aang?" Katara sounded incredulous.

"We'll just modify the plan as needed," Sokka shrugged. "We don't have the support of Ba Sing Se either, but I still think invading the Fire Nation capital during the eclipse is our best bet to end the war. Look, fire benders are going to lose their bending then whether or not Aang is able to fight."

Jet did stop then. "Fire bending will be blocked? When?"

Sokka missed his father giving him a short shake of his head, but Jet didn't. Why would he want Sokka to keep quiet?

"In a few weeks," Sokka explained. "We were planning on having Ba Sing Se's army on our side for that-"

"But we don't!" Katara pointed out angrily. "We have no army, just ourselves. Even if the Fire Nation is without bending, there's still bound to be so many of them that we'd be overwhelmed."

"So recruit others," Jet said with a frown. Was that really such a radical idea? "You have to know others that would like to see the end of the war. Hell, find any straggling Freedom Fighters, and I bet they'd leap at the chance to help out."

"And how would we even get there?" Katara truly wasn't giving up. "Fly there on Appa? Sokka, you remember the last time we went into Fire Nation territory-"

"You went to the Fire Nation?" Hakoda questioned, eyes wide.

"It was the winter solstice, and Aang had to get there for some sort of Avatar mumbo-jumbo," Sokka dismissed with a wave of his hand.

Katara's eyes narrowed. "There was a Fire Nation blockade! We were nearly shot out of the sky!"

"So we'll go by sea."

"We'll have the same issue there, Sokka!"

It was nice to know that Katara got heated with her own family, and not just him. But, Jet had to give her credit: she pointed out a major flaw in this invasion plan. It would be nice and all to attack the Fire Nation at its core when they were unable fight back, but they'd have to get there first. Sailing under Water Tribe colors would be an excellent way to get killed. The only people getting through were-

"Fire Nation. We need to be Fire Nation to get through," Jet suddenly spoke.

"What do you mean?" Hakoda asked, and beside him, Katara mouthed, _we?_ Had he actually said that?

"Only Fire Nation ships are getting into Fire Nation territory, so you just need to capture a Fire Nation ship," Jet explained. "Their ships are large, large enough that I'd bet you could hide Appa on them, plus all your men. We could probably sail through Fire Nation waters without being detected at all that way."

"…It'd probably be the safest place for Aang too," Sokka pointed out, earning a glare from his sister. "C'mon, think about it, Katara! Fire Nation isn't going to attack their own ship."

Katara looked angrily down at Aang, still asleep. "…Fine. But-" And she looked up at Sokka again, steel in her eyes. "-if Aang has not awoken by the day of the eclipse, he and I are staying behind somewhere safe."

Jet raised an eyebrow, but thankfully, no one was looking at him. Would anyone have the heart to tell her that if Aang was out for that long, he probably was not going to wake up?

* * *

It had been a little over a week since Jet had first stood on his freshly healed leg, and he'd graduated to walking outside, up and down the small length of beach. While he was able to walk on his own with he help of the crutch, he could not go for long, not yet. Hakoda frowned at the sight; it would always be distressing, to see someone so young, so close in age to Sokka, bearing such an injury. It was not lost on him how easily it could have been his own son struggling to walk instead; Jet and Sokka had been in the same place, fighting the same foes.

None of this pleased him. More than once, Hakoda had spoken with Jet, and found him to be cocky, but charismatic, clever. In their few conversations, he had gained a deeper understanding of who Jet was; his deep seeded hatred for the Fire Nation, his leadership skills, had learned of his run-ins with the Fire Nation. He was exactly the type of person Hakoda would want to fight for him.

But it was Jet who, at hearing simple phrase, became a soldier against his own will. This young man, who had helped Hakoda's children, who had helped the Avatar, was little more than a bomb walking through his camp, among his warriors. And worse yet, Sokka did not know the phrase to control him. Hakoda could only hope it was not one that anyone could easily recite on accident.

They would be leaving soon. The day prior, they'd managed to take a Fire Nation ship, following through on the plan Jet had helped form. His idea was brilliant, Hakoda had to admit. He could be a real asset.

Jet hadn't said much about joining them; Hakoda could feel some sort of tension between him and Sokka, less so than with Katara. But he'd heard it, when discussing plans to move forward: more than once, Jet had spoken as if he was coming. A slip of the tongue, most likely. An inner desire to help. But how much help was a soldier who could not walk?

Hakoda sighed. There were more reasons to leave him behind than take him.

If only he were a harder man.

"Looks like you're walking a little better," Hakoda greeted Jet. And it was true. A couple more weeks, and the limp might not be noticeable at all.

Jet looked quickly up at Hakoda, and nodded, coming to a stop. "I'm getting there," he agreed.

He lacked the confident look Hakoda had seen him usually don, and it was no wonder why. The camp was being dismantled, packed up. The Water Tribe was leaving.

"Think you can make it to the next town?" Hakoda already knew the answer to that.

For a brief moment, worry flashed over Jet's eyes, before he shook it off and gave Hakoda a grin instead. "You bet. It's what, only a few miles away? Be there by nightfall."

So cocky, but Hakoda saw through it. Jet was scared. Anyone in their right mind would be.

"I couldn't help but notice you had some very good ideas the other day. While I'm sure you'd rather try to reconnect with your friends, there's a place for you on my ship. We could use another thinker in our ranks."

Jet's eyes widened. "You really- yeah. Yeah, I'd be honored to join you."

"Then you'd better get your things and get to the ship," Hakoda nodded to him. Jet returned the nod, grateful.

As Jet walked slowly toward the ship, Hakoda let out a sigh. This better not have been a mistake.

* * *

Ty Lee hummed to herself as she walked the halls of the ship. They'd finally, about a week ago, made it to a port, and were able to set sale for home. Home. It was weird to consider the Fire Nation capital that way. She'd left her childhood home in favor of the circus, which had felt _so much_ more welcoming than where she'd grown up. But it wasn't like she had much of a choice in where she was going.

She could only hope that, whatever Azula felt like was happening would die down, and she could go back to living her life the way she wanted to. Maybe once Zuko was officially welcomed back into the royal family?

That idea made very little sense and Ty Lee knew it; but it wouldn't stop her from hoping!

It was mid-morning, and Ty Lee had already completed her usual routine of stretches, yoga, and meditation. And she was bored.

Bored, bored, bored.

As much of an honor it was to be so close with Azula, Ty Lee desperately needed time with anyone else. The problem was that Mai and Zuko were so wrapped up in each other that it was hard to catch _either_ of them alone. Sure, she'd opt for Mai, but she would be perfectly happy for even just ten minutes with the prince.

Ty Lee glanced into the mess hall as she passed it, and nearly did a double-take. Luck, for once, was actually on her side, for seated at a table at the far side of the room was Zuko and he was alone! She turned gracefully on her heel, and entered the room.

"Hi Prince Zuko!" she greeted him cheerily, giving him a short, customary bow.

Zuko only just barely lifted his head to look at her. "You don't have to bow every time you see me. We've known each other for years."

"Oh, okay, sure!" That was encouraging. Ty Lee wouldn't pretend that she was close with Zuko at all, but it was nice to know that he considered her familiar enough to skip the formalities. "What are you doing here? Where's Mai?"

"She has a headache or something; she's still in bed," Zuko said flatly. "If you want to chance waking her up, go for it."

Ty Lee giggled. "Oh gosh no, she's so cranky when she's woken up."

"Tell me about it."

"So you're just sitting here alone? Isn't that boring?"

Zuko sighed a little. "It's fine."

For just a moment, Ty Lee considered her options, before sitting down across from Zuko in a single, fluid movement. He raised an eyebrow at her, sitting up a little straighter.

"Do you need something?" he asked.

Ty Lee shook her head. "No, well, I guess kind of? I thought we might be able to talk a little. We never really got the chance before, so why not now?"

Zuko let out a short snort of amusement. "Azula doesn't want to spend time with you, huh?"

"No," Ty Lee responded, trying not to deflate, "I mean, I know I'm super luck to have Azula as my best friend, and we do always have _so_ much fun together, but, um…." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "She isn't always easy to talk to."

The look Zuko gave her was strange, part distrust, part amusement. "And you…want someone to talk to?" he finally settled on saying.

She nodded eagerly.

Zuko sighed and nodded. "Fine. What do you want to talk about?"

"I don't know- anything, really! I mean, there's so much we could talk about! I mean, you traveled so many places, surely you have an interesting story to tell from it."

She had missed the mark. The prince's face darkened, and he looked away. "Not really."

Ty Lee wanted to scream in frustration. Was this a family trait, to not want to open up? She wasn't going to give up. "Well, I'm sure you met interesting people while you were hunting down the Avatar, right? Oh!"

A thought occurred to her, to finally ask about something she'd wondered about for months, ever since her first encounter with the Avatar and his friends.

"Did you ever get a chance to- to interact with the people that traveled with the Avatar?" Ty Lee asked eagerly. "We ran into them a few times, and they seemed…."

She trailed off. How to explain, how to lay out her thoughts? Azula would never have wanted to discuss the humanity in those that sided with the Avatar, but Ty Lee did. She was so _curious_.

Zuko was too, apparently. "They seemed _what_?"

Ty Lee tried to find the right wording. "They…. They didn't seem evil. I know they're the bad guys, but- and especially when they were together, their auras—well, their auras weren't the prettiest because they were fighting, and that's normal, for auras to get muddy when people are fighting or stressed, but there was this, like, unity among them. Like a family glow, I think. I wasn't expecting that, from…wherever they're from. Are they a family? The one boy and the water bender seem like they might be, their auras are so closely tied, and so bright! They don't have the auras of evil people."

They had auras of those who loved and cared about each other. She could feel the trust radiating off all of them in every encounter. It was so vastly different from how she and Mai and Azula operated. Ty Lee sighed.

"What does it matter who they are?" Zuko snapped, suddenly defensive. "They're the _enemy_."

Despite her best efforts, she'd crossed a line. Ty Lee nodded, and stood up. "I'm sorry," she said earnestly, head bowed. "I know they are. Thank you for talking with me, Prince Zuko."

And, out of habit, she bowed to him again before turning and walking to the doorway. Stupid. She shouldn't have let herself just speak so freely, not without knowing what Zuko would be open to hearing. With Azula, Ty Lee knew her limits. Zuko was foreign territory.

"Hey."

Ty Lee paused in her step, turning around to look at Zuko. He wasn't looking at her, but continued speaking.

"You were right. The two- the boy and the water bender. They are siblings."

He didn't provide any further information, and it was clear that this was the end of their conversation. Slowly, she grinned, before bowing to Zuko again, and stepping out into the hall.

Well, now she'd consider her first conversation to be a complete success. Hopefully they could have another sometime soon.


	2. On the Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ty Lee's friendship with Zuko grows, Jet gets used to life onboard a Fire Nation ship under Hakoda's leadership, and Hakoda is forced to confront Jet's brainwashing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Accompanying playlist:
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2fYMKVtqxHQtpbXJH53mdl
> 
> I make playlists to keep me inspired for the theme of my fics. This playlist is for the whole of the story, not just this chapter. So if a song seems out of place, we simply haven't reached that point in the fic yet. :)

Once she had managed to break the ice with Zuko the first time, Ty Lee found talking to Zuko to be easier and easier. Sure, it wasn't often during the day that they had any time alone together- and not that Ty Lee could really blame Mai for being attached at the hip to Zuko, considering their history- but the mornings, however, became their time to talk. Mai preferred to sleep in, and Azula kept her mornings for herself. Ty Lee did not mind. She liked talking to Zuko.

Zuko did _not_ like getting into details, Ty Lee quickly discovered. He preferred to let her do most of the talking, which, honestly, was kind of nice for once.

"You really joined the circus?"

Ty Lee nodded with a smile. It was a little after dawn, on the deck of the ship. Ty Lee was doing her usual morning yoga, while Zuko stood to the side. The first time he had seen her morning routine, he had stared in what appeared to be a mixture of shock and confusion.

Zuko did not sound particularly enthusiastic in his question, but she was used to that by now. "Yeah! I just love acrobatics, you know? I figured why not? It was like a fun adventure!"

The prince was frowning. Again, nothing out of the ordinary; he frowned so often. It usually meant that he was thinking.

"So you…chose to leave your home to live in squalor?"

He was confused. Azula had been, too. Mai hadn't asked too many questions about it. But then again, she never did. In fact, Ty Lee never had seen Mai speak half as much as she did around Zuko.

"It wasn't squalor," she responded in her usual upbeat fashion. "It was nice. I made some good friends there."

"Oh." Zuko rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess you'll go back there, huh?"

Wrong. Avoiding a sigh of disappointment, Ty Lee relaxed out of a half moon pose, kneeling on the deck. "No. Azula requested I stay in the Fire Nation for now."

His nose wrinkled. "You're just going to do what she says?"

She shrugged. "She is my best friend. And she's the princess." Saying no to Azula simply was not an option.

Not that she minded doing what Azula said. She was totally happy to follow through on whatever it was that Azula needed her to do, no matter what.

Zuko's only response was a grunt. For whatever reason, he was unsatisfied by her answer. This happened a lot, whenever the topic of his sister came up. Ty Lee wished, more than once, that Zuko would open up about that, because, maybe, if he would say what he was thinking, he would reveal that he felt similarly about Azula that she did. And then, Ty Lee could finally have someone to admit to that, sometimes, she was a bit scared of Azula, that maybe- just maybe- Azula didn't always have the best of intentions.

There was no way Ty Lee was going to initiate that conversation, not with anyone. But, if Zuko would….

Not likely. Zuko took a step back, toward the hull. "I'm going to see if Mai is awake. I'll see you at breakfast."

Disappointment filled Ty Lee, as it always did when Zuko found a reason to leave their conversations. But she gave him a bright smile and a nod, before resuming her stretches. They would talk again tomorrow.

* * *

Life at sea was sure something to get used to.

It may have been the new tasks that Jet was given or the fact that, for once, he was not the one giving the orders, but Jet was struggling to adjust. The days were long, surprisingly; apparently there was a lot of work required to keep the ship running. At first, Jet had been given kitchen duty. Whether this was because he still was strengthening his leg, or the fact that he was the newest recruit and had to work up the ranks, he did not know, but he was less than happy. Being stuck in the kitchens, peeling potatoes and cleaning fish was a waste of his talents, and Hakoda knew it.

If there was anywhere that he deserved to be, with his experience, it was in close ranks with Hakoda and Sokka.

Somehow, Jet managed to hold his tongue. It was not lost on him that Hakoda had done him the greater favor by allowing him to join their ship.

Days passed, then weeks. It was monotonous. Jet never realized how much he relied on being able to move freely about, to do what he wanted. He did his best to keep the restless feelings at bay, but it was near impossible. Perhaps it was best he was kept down below, away from nearly everyone else, otherwise he would have probably snapped at someone over something meaningless.

They passed by Gaipan quickly; Jet did not know if he was grateful for it or not. If they had stopped, would he have gone ashore, returned to the tree-top base he had once run? No. Not likely. His head hurt when he thought about it for too long, when he tried to remember what his life had been like there. Better not to think about it at all.

It was only once the ship broke out to the sea that separated the Earth Kingdom from the Fire Nation that they weighed anchor, needing to go ashore for supplies. The how was a big question. They needed to continue to appear as a Fire Nation ship, but the nearby town still held allegiance to the Earth Kingdom. Going out in the Fire Nation uniforms would only draw negative attention. But for Water Tribe to be seen going to and from the ship, that would blow their cover.

It was Sokka who had come up with the plan around this: they would use Katara's water bending to walk safely along the sea floor and to the town, unseen. Apparently, they had done something similar to cross the Serpent's Pass on their way to Ba Sing Se. Katara was less enthusiastic.

"Last time, I had Aang's help," she said with a frown as they stood at the edge of the ship. Katara, Sokka, Toph and Jet had all been selected to pick up the supplies. Personally, Jet felt that he and Toph had only been picked because they both were going stir-crazy from being aboard for so long. It was fine, he would take it. Anything to be on steady ground again.

"You'll do fine," Sokka assured her. "I've seen you do crazier water bending than this."

Katara merely grunted in response. The water was not too deep, so Toph was able to raise some of the rocky floor up for them to step onto. Then, before lowering back down to the bottom of the sea, Katara was able to bend the water around them, almost as a shield from the rest of the sea.

"I've got to say," Jet said as they walked to shore, looking up at the water above them, "I'm impressed."

Katara did not respond, but then again, keeping the water from crashing down on them probably took immense concentration.

"You sure you don't need your cane?" It was Toph who spoke, from ahead of him. "You're still favoring your leg."

He would never get used to the fact that this blind girl could perceive so much through her earth bending. She was more perceptive than most. The limp he had now was almost unnoticeable; Jet had made sure of that. "I'm fine. Need to get used to going without it, don't I? Can't knock Fire Nation skulls with a handicap."

"We aren't knocking anyone's skulls today," Sokka reminded him. "There isn't any Fire Nation here anyway."

Jet rolled his eyes. "I know that, but we are headed to the Fire Nation, with the goal of taking out the Fire Lord. I'm not planning on being left out of that fight."

They reached the beach, and thankfully, no one was around to witness four teens walk out of the water perfectly dry. As they entered the port town, Katara spoke.

"Let's make this quick, guys. I don't want to be gone for too long." She looked out to sea, and Jet did not need to follow her gaze to know what she was thinking about. He wondered if Aang knew how lucky he was.

"You don't need to worry so much, he'll be fine," Sokka said, putting his arm around Katara's shoulders. "If he does wake up, he's in good hands! Dad is there, and Kahto-"

"I know that. It's just, he doesn't know anyone on the ship." Her hand went to her necklace, toying with it, as she did when she was nervous. "He might panic if we aren't there."

That was actually a good point. "We'll be fast," Jet agreed with her. "What do we even need?"

Nothing on the list Hakoda had given them seemed particularly difficult to find. Considering that the majority of the list were food items, they had their shopping done within the hour. It was a shame; sure, Jet had assured Katara that they would be fast, but he was not exactly eager to get back on board, and into the kitchen. He'd like to stretch his legs, explore-

"Jet?"

They were walking back to the beach, carrying their haul. Jet paused in his step, looking around, his pack of supplies slung over his shoulder.

"Jet! It's him, Pipsqueak! Jet, Jet!"

There was a child running towards them, wearing a helmet that was far too large for him, followed by a very large young man.

"Wha-"

Jet had barely managed to speak when the boy launched himself at him. Normally, he was good at standing his ground, but this time, Jet was caught off guard, and his bad knee gave out. He hit the ground hard, the wind almost knocked out of him in surprise. _What on earth?_

"Jet, where have you been?" the boy was saying, even as he kept his arms wrapped around his middle. "Pipsqueak and I looked for you forever!"

The other one- the big one- reached them, and by now, everyone else had taken notice of the commotion.

"Kid, get off me," Jet snapped, shoving at the child to get him to let go. The boy gave him a surprised look, a frown, but let go of him, taking a step back.

"Pipsqueak, the Duke!" Katara said warmly from behind him, and Sokka helped Jet to his feet. Well, at least they knew who these two were, but how the hell did the kid know him? "What are you doing here?"

The large one spoke. "We've been trying to find Jet," he said with a booming voice, a big grin on his face.

This wasn't right. Jet shook his head; his head was aching from trying to figure out who they were. "Who- who are you?" he asked, uneasy.

There was a stunned silence from the group, and Jet did not miss the strange look that Sokka and Katara shared.

"Jet," Katara spoke gently, "it's Pipsqueak and the Duke. They were part of the Freedom Fighters."

No. Something inside him was telling him to reject this information. He only knew of two other Freedom Fighters: Longshot and Smellerbee. But even that didn't seem right. There had been others, so many others, only he couldn't…he couldn't place who they were. Again, something pushed back, forcing him to think of anything else.

"Jet? Are you okay?"

It was the kid who spoke, stepping forward again, and Jet took a step back. He was sweating now, eyes darting from one stranger to the next.

"Oh no," he heard Katara say. "Sokka-"

"On it."

Katara came closer to Jet, as Sokka gestured for the others to follow him. Jet watched them, not knowing why he was feeling this way, but knowing, remembering, the last time this had happened. Ba Sing Se. It was Katara's gentle touch on his arm that jolted him from that dark place, looking to her instead.

"Jet," she said softly; did she know how soothing her voice could be? "Calm down. I think you are dealing with a blocked memory, from the Dai Li. Just take a deep breath. Breathe in with me…and let it out."

He followed her instruction, because it was so much easier to listen to her voice and breathe than it was to confront whatever madness was going on in his head.

"Okay, good. Just keep breathing but listen. Jet, you do know them, Pipsqueak and the Duke. They were a part of the Freedom Fighters. I'm going to do some healing, okay? Try to- try to think of the Freedom Fighters."

Jet kept on breathing, the slow steady breaths; his head was throbbing, like a migraine right behind his eyes. He felt the sudden cooling, like when Katara had healed his ribs, but on either side of his head. It was a welcome sensation, and it was easier to focus, to recall his time in the forests by Gaipan, of the treetop base he had created with Longshot and Smellerbee and-

The rest were all faceless figures. There were so many other people there, so many kids and teens, but they were indistinguishable from the next. Jet frowned, groaned, trying to bring their features to the surface, anything—

And then, it came to him. The Duke. Pipsqueak. Those two became clearer, and suddenly, there was a barrage of memories flooding his mind, of running ambushes with the two of them, discovering the Duke trying to steal food from them and welcoming him into the group, finding Pipsqueak on his own, celebrating with them.

Jet let out a gasp, eyes flying open. Katara was crouched before him, hands at either side of his head, watching him intently. "I…. I remember them."

She offered an encouraging smile and returned her water to the flask she kept at her hip. "That's good. How are you feeling?"

"Like…shit," he answered honestly. The headache was still there, and he pressed his fingertips to the bridge of his nose, shutting his eyes.

Katara stood. "Okay. Let's get you back to the ship." She grabbed him by his bicep, helping him to his feet.

* * *

Hakoda walked through the cabin of the ship, footsteps echoing off the metal walls. Even after so long inhabiting the ship, he was not used to the sound of metal. It would be a relief to return to the wooden ships of the Water Tribe, for a multitude of reasons.

Sokka and Katara had returned from the excursion and had brought two recruits with them. To say he had been surprised that one of the recruits was a child of eight would have been an understatement. But Sokka vouched for them both, saying they had been part of Jet's vigilante group and had seen them both in combat. For now, Hakoda would allow it. But he was not thrilled to with the idea of sending a child into battle.

Hakoda stopped at the hull door to the room Jet was given. He knew he would be there; Sokka had told him so. This was not a conversation he was looking forward to having. However, it was necessary.

Giving a short knock out of courtesy, Hakoda opened the door before Jet could respond. The young man was sitting on his bed, elbows resting on his knees, head down. He did not look up when Hakoda entered the room, nor when Hakoda shut the door behind him. With a soft exhale, the chief took a seat on the opposite bunk across from Jet.

"It is time we discuss what is going on," Hakoda spoke, breaching the subject as gently as was necessary.

"I'm not in the mood to talk." There was an edge to Jet's voice that Hakoda had not heard before. It did not surprise him.

Unimpressed, Hakoda did not move. "Sokka tells me you ran into some old friends in town."

Jet let out a grunt but said nothing. He was lucky that Hakoda was patient, and persistent. Hakoda was a good captain. He knew when to push, he knew when to shout, and even more importantly, he knew when to simply wait. The minutes ticked by, and Hakoda did not move. There was tension rising in Jet, how his shoulders became taut, his breathing more labored. The boy would crack without much prodding.

"Pipsqueak and the Duke seem eager to join our ship."

That did it. Jet looked quickly up at Hakoda, his eyes wide in surprise; and if Hakoda hadn't known a bit of what had happened, he would have been surprised to see they were red, that there were tears staining the young man's cheeks. Jet put up a strong front. But this was something that would break even the hardest of men to their knees.

"W- why?" Jet sputtered and, as if only just feeling the wet on his skin, wiped his cheeks dry with his fingers.

"I gathered they were intent on following you." It was not a lie. The Duke especially seemed intent on sticking with Jet. "You apparently made quite an impression on them as their former leader."

Jet scoffed, looking away. "I wasn't much of a leader."

Hakoda tilted his head ever so slightly at that statement. "What makes you say that?"

"I'm sure Sokka told you plenty."

"I want to hear it from you."

Jet exhaled deeply. There was shame on his face, then his brow furrowed, and he closed his eyes. "…I don't remember it exactly," Jet said slowly. "I just know…. Katara was mad at me. I did something…." Jet winced, his hand going to his forehead. "I can't remember."

For a moment, Hakoda said nothing. He watched Jet, even after he finished speaking, taking in his expressions, his motions.

"You seemed to have forgotten your friends as well."

Another scoff from Jet. "Yeah, my memory isn't worth much, apparently."

"Maybe," Hakoda said. "Or maybe it isn't what it was before you were arrested by the Dai Li."

That got Jet's attention. Once more, he looked sharply at the chief. "How do you know-"

"Sokka filled me in. But I'm interested to hear your side, Jet. What did the Dai Li do to you, exactly?"

He had hardly finished his question before Jet was shaking his head. "I don't…. I don't know. I- You should just ask Sokka for more information, he knows as much as I do, maybe more." Jet let out a defeated sigh. "I don't remember being arrested. I- I don't remember going to Ba Sing Se with Lo- with my friends. I swear I had gone alone. But Katara, she helped me, I got some sort of memories of where I had been taken…. Look, it is really confusing to go over this. There's things I remember happening that didn't, and other memories that don't feel real that I know are."

"I see." Hakoda considered what Jet said, considered his mannerisms. "Sokka explained quite a bit to me. He told me how you took him and everyone else down below the lake in Ba Sing Se, how the leader of the Dai Li was there." His lips were a thin line; he did not wish to speak of this, now while Jet was so raw from his experiences. But it had to be now. "The leader spoke a phrase to you, that rendered you…not yourself. Do you remember this?"

Jet had gone still. He still hadn't sat upright, and more than ever, was showing just how young he actually was. Old enough to fight, but too young to aptly deal with the horrors of war. Jet's eyes had gone dark, and slowly, he nodded.

"What was the phrase?"

Jet's eyes met Hakoda's, and for the first time, there was fear in them, open fear. "You- you can't-"

Hakoda held up a hand to silence him. "I am not asking so that I may manipulate you. I have no desire to see you in whatever state the phrase might put you. I have known about this for weeks, Jet, since before I asked you to join us. It was not an easy decision to make, knowing that, at any moment, someone could say something, and you could suddenly change. I took on a risk, bringing you on. But it is because the benefit outweighed that risk."

He could see the relief that washed over Jet by that assurance. He hoped it would not be short lived.

"I thought that, maybe, whatever had happened to you, had worn off. That you are your own self, your whole self. But, from what I was told occurred in the town, that is not the case. Whatever was done to you still lingers. And I need to know what risks that brings."

Jet swallowed, and finally sat up a little. "There's no risk-"

"Then what is the phrase?" Hakoda pressed. "If only to ensure that it is not said, I need to know it."

"I don't know!" Jet cried. "I don't know it, I don't even know what happened when Long Feng said it! I only know that- that Aang was begging me to snap out of it, and it was hard, but I fought against it, and I broke free. I don't know anything, that's the worst part of it!"

"Calm yourself," Hakoda said firmly. There was no threat in his voice. "I believe you." And then, after a moment's consideration, Hakoda stood. "You will stay on kitchen duty, at least until the Avatar wakes up. This is not punishment, but precaution."

Jet frowned, looking up at Hakoda. "You aren't kicking me out?"

The corner of Hakoda's mouth twitched in a small smile. "No. I don't think I have reason to. But I would prefer you stay away from the possibility of combat until we know how to…deal with what you've been put through."

Hakoda had one foot out of the cabin when he paused and looked back at Jet. "When you're feeling up to it, I know there are two young men who are eager to talk to you." And then, with a nod, he left Jet to his own thoughts.

* * *

Days passed. Nothing further was said about the incident in the town, except for when the Duke approached Jet cautiously, asking if he was feeling better. Jet had put on his usual smirk, assuring the kid that he was feeling just fine.

Katara offered to try to help Jet work through the memories that had been altered. At first, he had pushed back against it. It was easier, so much easier, to ignore what was going on, to not think back. However, at Hakoda's insistence, he caved. Jet knew it was only by Hakoda's good graces that he was still on the ship. He had not expected, however, that Hakoda would insist on being present during his sessions with Katara.

Maybe the chief was afraid he would snap. Or maybe he did not trust Jet.

Through his time with Katara, some memories became clearer, mostly of the Freedom Fighters. He'd managed a breakthrough at one point, recalling the names of several others, their faces to match.

But even still, it was strange to spend time with Pipsqueak or the Duke. His memories of them had come back, but they were…confusing, to say the least. They were faded in a way, like looking through dirty glass. It was painful to think on them, and easier to simply avoid the two Freedom Fighters.

Instead, during what little free time he had- for Hakoda seemed to think that the busier Jet was, the less likely anything could happen- Jet found himself in Sokka's company. It was a little funny, considering he and Sokka hadn't had the best start to their friendship. But, now that Jet was no longer in a leadership role, Sokka was more receptive to anything Jet had to say. Usually they would end up scouring maps of the Fire Nation, discussing different tactics that could be used during the day of the eclipse. So much of what they went over was in theory; Aang still hadn't awoke, and they still didn't know how many men they could gather to join their fight. Hakoda had sent several water tribe ships in different directions, seeking to enlist different groups Sokka had recommended. Considering how spread out all Sokka's friends were, it would be a surprise if they all managed to make it.

And then, one day, the Avatar awoke.

* * *

Truth be told, Ty Lee was a little disappointed to see the Gates of Azulon appear on the horizon. Returning to the Capital City was never really part of her plan. It had been quite exciting running around the Earth Kingdom, and sure, maybe it was not exactly the way she would have wanted to see the world, she still had gotten the chance to see it all. And, with her two best friends at her side! It was a little sad to say goodbye to this part of her life.

And, most recently, she had actually, maybe, forged something akin to a friendship with Prince Zuko!

Well, maybe not a real friendship, but it was close enough that Ty Lee did not care. He certainly more than tolerated her presence at this point, even asked her questions about herself! Their mornings together were actually genuinely nice.

But with the gates in sight, Ty Lee sighed sadly from the mat she had laid out on the deck of the ship. It wasn't as if they would seek each other out every morning to meditate and stretch together and talk. No, Ty Lee knew better than that. The only time she would see Zuko going forward would be at celebrations, or when Azula invited her to the palace. It was a real shame.

"Not excited to be home?"

"Huh?" Ty Lee looked sharply over at Zuko, who was seated parallel to her on a mat of his own and looking sideways at her. They hadn't been talking at all; he'd been meditating, doing his breathing exercises, while she did warm up stretches. "Oh, no, I mean, well, not really. But it won't be too bad! It'll be the first time in years all of us have been home again, so there's that."

Zuko didn't respond, but she saw his shoulders sag ever so slightly. She'd touched a nerve. Should she ask? It was so tempting.

"Are you excited?" Ty Lee chanced asking. "To finally be home?"

He shifted, no longer in the proper position for his breathing exercises. "It's complicated."

Ty Lee considered his answer for a moment, extending her leg forward in front of her. "Yeah, I bet it is. That makes a lot of sense," she said, leaning forward to grasp her foot.

"It does?" Zuko had turned to look at her.

"Absolutely! If I'd been away from home for three years, I would feel super weird about going home. I already feel a little weird about it." Satisfied with that stretch, Ty Lee shifted to do the same with the other leg. "I'm going to see if I can visit my aunt pretty soon. I haven't been to Shu Jing in ages, and it's so nice there. Have you been? It's on one of the smaller isles to the west."

"Shu Jing? Isn't that where that master swordsman lives? Pi… Pi something."

Ty Lee giggled and shrugged. "Maybe! I don't know."

"That's kind of far from the Capital City. Think Azula will like that?"

It was difficult to tell if Zuko was teasing her or not. Ty Lee chose to answer as if he was serious; it was simply easier that way. "I won't be away for long, and I'll let Azula know before I leave. I don't think she'll mind too much."

Zuko, apparently finished with his morning ritual, stood up, picking up his mat. Ty Lee watched with fascination; Azula never would have cleaned up after herself.

"You know," Zuko said slowly, rolling his mat up neatly, not looking at her, "you don't have to do everything Azula wants you to do."

Had he noticed? Of course he had. Zuko was not stupid. But, if he was as smart as he seemed, he probably also knew what could happen when Azula did not get her way. Was he trying to be encouraging anyway?

Ty Lee merely smiled in response and resumed her stretches. She knew better than to cross Azula. They were friends; she doubted anyone knew her as well as she did. Zuko did not press for an answer from her, which was just as well. As soon as he had disappeared into the cabin, Ty Lee relaxed out of her stretches and sighed sadly. Her talks with Zuko had been nice while they had lasted.

* * *

Things had taken a strange turn for….Team Avatar, as they called themselves. Or, at least, as Sokka referred to them all as.

Aang had not taken the news of his apparent death well, which was stupid. The kid was letting his pride get in the way of his thinking. Jet would know; he had done that more than once in his life. He would have been happy to let Aang in on how idiotic he was being if he would have only asked.

It was only a matter of time before Aang ran away.

The response was rather heartwarming, Jet had to say, the way Katara and Sokka had rallied together with Toph over their concern for Aang. A plan was formed so quickly, that they would have to go find him, get him, and travel with him instead of with the ship. Jet watched the whole thing unfold on the deck, of Katara and Toph packing up Appa's saddle, Sokka planning where and when they would reunite with the ship.

Aang needed to make his own journey, and they were willing to take it with him. It reminded him of when he had disbanded the Freedom Fighters, and Smellerbee and Longshot had chosen to follow him. It was good to have such loyal ties.

No, not ties. Friends.

Jet only watched for a moment longer, before dashing inside the cabin as fast as his leg would allow him, to his bunk. He did not have much at all, but he was not willing to leave his tiger blades behind. With his few belongings shoved into a rucksack, he returned topside just as Sokka was climbing onto Appa's back, Hakoda standing nearby to see them off.

"Wait!" Jet called, slowing his pace, if only so the slight limp he still had would be less noticeable. "I'm coming with you."

There was hesitation in all of their faces, most predominantly in Hakoda's. He faced Jet, his face as passive as always, unreadable. "I would prefer you stay onboard," he said firmly.

Jet could feel the implication there. Hakoda did not trust him, did not trust Jet's mind and all the work the Dai Li had done to him.

"No," Jet replied with a shake of his head. "No. I need to go, I'll do better, I'll do more by going with the Avatar. I can help you guys. C'mon, Sokka; you know when we put our heads together, we come up with some pretty great ideas."

To his surprise, Sokka seemed hesitant, and glanced to his father. Jet's fingers clenched tightly around the handles of his tiger blades. He was not yielding the decision to his father.

Hakoda stepped forward, his tone calm, but hard, a warning to not argue. "Jet, your place is on this ship until you're…cured."

Cured. Jet could see it now. Hakoda was only keeping him close to keep an eye on him, to ensure he didn't- didn't what? Suddenly turn on them all, a hidden weapon from the other side? No wonder he had always been on kitchen duty. Under Hakoda's leadership, Jet would never see a battle.

It was not fair.

Jet was seething, he was nearly shaking. "My place is where I say it is, and it is with them!" He pointed toward Appa with his blades. "You say I need to be cured? Who is going to fix me if Katara leaves and I'm stuck here?"

"He has a point," Sokka relented from up in the saddle. Good. Someone was seeing some sort of sense. Maybe it was only Hakoda's influence that caused him to hesitate. "Jet should keep up with Katara's healing…."

"Exactly," Jet agreed with a sharp nod.

Hakoda was less than thrilled with the idea. Jet could see it, the conflict in him, trying to find a counter argument, but he'd lost.

"Jet, if you're coming, then get up here!" Katara was leaning over her brother's shoulder. She was cross, her voice nearly shrill. "We are wasting enough time as it is!"

It was with a confident smirk that Jet strode over to Appa, holding eye contact with Hakoda. Just before he climbed onto the sky bison's back, Hakoda looked as if he was about to say something but held his tongue. Good. Smart.

Even still, Jet did not relax until they were in the air.


	3. Our Walls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jet and Ty Lee finally meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Accompanying playlist:
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2fYMKVtqxHQtpbXJH53mdl
> 
> I make playlists to keep me inspired for the theme of my fics. This playlist is for the whole of the story, not just this chapter. So if a song seems out of place, we simply haven't reached that point in the fic yet. :)

It felt like it had taken absolutely _ages_ for Ty Lee to receive word from her aunt.

A week had passed since her return to the Fire Nation, and Ty Lee was going out of her mind. She had returned to her childhood home, and there had been great fanfare over her presence. Her mother had cried, her father had hugged her tightly, both speaking to how dearly they had missed her, how worried they had been when she had left without warning. And, at first, it was nice to see them. It was even nice to see her sisters again.

But it only took being home for two days for her mother to accidentally call her Ty Lat. Another day, and she became lost in the crowd of her sisters completely.

It should not have been that way.

She had joined the circus. She was best friends with Princess Azula. She had traveled the Earth Kingdom, helped track the Avatar, and had played a role in taking down Ba Sing Se. Her accomplishments should have set her apart from her sisters.

If anything, this proved to her that she had to get out of her parent's house. Mai was so lucky that her parents were still in New Ozai and she had her house to herself. Ty Lee invited herself over more than once, until Mai made it clear that only Zuko could come over unannounced.

Ty Lee sighed heavily. She was on the roof of her house; it was the only place she knew she could go that her sisters could not follow her, the only place to get any sort of quiet. What was taking her aunt so long to write back?

The sky was bright and clear, not even a single cloud in the sky. So far, the only pleasant part of being home was the weather- oh, and the food. Food in the Earth Kingdom was so bland in comparison to all the heavily spiced foods of the Fire Nation, and the tropical fruits! Ty Lee had missed those dearly. Nearly every morning for breakfast, she gorged herself on guava and pomelos.

The dark body of a messenger hawk flew overhead, coming in low, and Ty Lee jolted to her feet, running across the roof to see if it had-

Yes! The messenger hawk had flown in through one of the open windows of her house, and Ty Lee gracefully flipped down from the roof to run inside.

"That letter is for me!" she cried as she dashed through the house, leaping over Ty Lin and Ty Woo, who had been coming down the hall in the opposite direction. The hawk had landed in her father's study, and thankfully, no one else had managed to get to the hawk first.

She gently retrieved the letter, unrolled it, and let out another sigh, this time out of relief. It was from Aunt Ya, and she was happy to receive her for as long as she wanted to stay.

"Ty Lee? What was that all about?" Ty Woo had peeked her head into the room, an eyebrow raised.

Ty Lee spun to face her sister. "I'm leaving-"

"Already?"

"Just for a small vacation," Ty Lee continued, nodding. "I'm visiting Aunt Ya. I'll be back in less than a month."

Less than a month. That was Azula's decision, and it certainly was generous. After all, Azula could have simply decided that she did not want Ty Lee traveling far. Often, Ty Lee thought on what Zuko had told her, the last morning they were at sea, that she did not have to do everything his sister said. It would be nice to have that luxury. Ty Lee had tried saying no to Azula once, and she did not care to ever relive the experience.

* * *

Traveling with Aang calling the shots was considerably different than traveling with on the ship. Instead of moving linearly, with a clear goal at each stop, the airbender was shockingly cavalier about it all. It was as if, once making the decision to travel separately from the water tribe, Aang's main priority was to have fun.

At least Sokka had some sense. He was the only one who seemed remotely concerned about being discovered by the Fire Nation, which just so happened to be exactly where they were. Katara had thought all they needed were new outfits to fit in seamlessly.

…Jet hated to admit that she actually happened to be correct.

Fire Nation clothing turned out to be a blessing for more than one reason. Not only did they not stick out like sore thumbs, but the clothing was incredibly breathable. Jet had wondered how the people of the Fire Nation wore such layered clothing, with long sweeping sleeves in such a hot climate. It turned out that, only some people dressed that way, and the clothes were made of silk and linen. Still, when it came time to dress like the locals, Jet opted for less clothing. The shirt he had found, just like Sokka's, was sleeveless. The trousers he managed to snag probably were supposed to reach to just below his knees, but only came to a few inches above them.

Clearly the clothes were not made for someone so lanky. Thank goodness the sandals they had found fit him.

It felt strange to go without armor. He knew the scrappy armor he had put together while leading the Freedom Fighters was nothing to brag about, but he had worn it daily. Without it, he felt vulnerable. He kept quiet on such thoughts. No one else seemed uncomfortable in their new clothes.

Even with their new disguises, it was impossible to be at ease while walking through Fire Nation towns. How the rest of them were able to be so calm when surrounded by the enemy was baffling. Even Sokka seemed to be more at ease with their disguises. Jet jumped at every sudden noise, was constantly looking over his shoulder, expecting an attack to come; for someone to look at them, and realize that they looked nothing like Fire Nation.

But somehow, the change of clothing seemed to work. The merchants at their stands only cared about receiving coin, just as the merchants in the Earth Kingdom did. People in the streets passed them by without a thought. Children played. It was all so _normal_.

They had made camp for the night not far from a town. With the weather so fair and the temperatures so high, no tents were really needed, so they were all laid out under the stars. The rest were discussing the stars above them, but Jet's thoughts were clouded. The last place they'd been to, the river village, was still on his mind.

The people of the village were most definitely not evil. They had been poor, and sick, and in desperate need; Jet had seen villages like that plenty of times in his life. But strange for it to be in the Fire Nation.

Aang's voice jolted him from his thoughts. "Hey, Jet, you're pretty quiet."

"Just thinking," he said dryly.

"Don't hurt yourself," Sokka snickered, then let out a grunt as Katara elbowed him in the side.

"About anything in particular?" she asked.

Jet took a moment before answering, chewing on the end of piece of grass. The fields they had gone through did not have the same wheat-like grasses he preferred, but this would work. It helped him to focus. "The villagers back at the river. They…. They're not what I'd expected them to be like."

Beside him, Toph snorted. "What, did you think they'd be mean and angry?"

"Well, yeah."

"They're just people," Aang pointed out gently; Jet could hear him frowning.

Jet merely grunted.

Katara sat up, and he looked over at her. He expected her to have a frown to match Aang's, but surprisingly, her expression was soft. "You really think that everyone in the Fire Nation is evil?"

"Hey," Jet replied, raising his hands up in front of him in a defensive gesture, "the only exposure I had to the Fire Nation were the soldiers."

"So did the rest of us-"

"Not me!" piped up Aang, as if he were proud of the fact.

"-and we aren't paranoid," Katara continued as if she had not been interrupted.

Sokka cleared his throat. "Actually, I'm with Jet. It's been weird to see Fire Nation citizens acting like regular people."

Katara was clearly getting frustrated, judging from the edge in her tone. "They _are_ regular people, Sokka!"

"I get that now-"

"Guys, look!"

Aang had leapt to his feet, pointing up at the sky. Jet looked up, and his jaw dropped. A meteor was shooting across the sky, coming so close-

It disappeared out of sight, but they all felt the tremor when it struck the ground. All of them where on the ground running, Jet taking up the rear. Running was still difficult, sending shards of pain through his leg.

"Whoa," he breathed, looking down at the flaming crater. It was so very far away, but still incredible. How many other people had ever seen a meteor crash? Jet liked to think he was one of the very few.

* * *

An unforeseen consequence of the meteor was Sokka suddenly suffering from an inferiority complex. While Jet stood back in awe as Toph, Aang, and Katara expertly manipulated the elements around them to keep the fire from spreading to the nearby town of Shu Jing, Sokka had sulked.

And the next day, Sokka was still sulking. Through their meal (in which they treated themselves to a hot meal not cooked by Katara), he was still sulking. Jet could only roll his eyes. Yes, bending was cool, but not was signified if someone was a valuable fighter. There had not been one earth bender among the Freedom Fighters, and they certainly had not been hurting due to it.

Jet never really had the chance to see Sokka fight but considering the club he carried and the accuracy at which he could throw his boomerang, he was positive that Sokka had nothing to complain about. Sokka seemed unwilling to see the sense in this, until he had gotten the brilliant idea of looking for the apparent 'Master Piandao' to teach him how to wield a sword.

Which meant that they were stuck hiding out just outside the town until Sokka completed his training.

It wasn't so bad. The island they were on was actually kind of pretty, which initially had been just as surprising at the normalcy of the people. It was the Fire Nation, after all; Jet had expected more volcanos, lots of barren rock, no vegetation. But it was surprisingly green, and beautiful. But man, was it hot. Aang had even taken to forgoing the long sleeves of his disguise, opting to only wear his pants.

Without Sokka around, Jet quickly learned that the other three did not really know what to do with themselves. He really should have expected that; Sokka was the one that kept them to a tight schedule, called the shots. And maybe it was the heat, but Jet was thoroughly fed up with listening to their attempts at humor.

"All right," he grunted, sitting up, and pulling his own shirt back on; just as Aang had, Jet had opted to go shirtless while hidden away from the town. "I can't sit here anymore. I'm going for a walk."

"Where?" Toph asked lazily. Clearly she had no intention of joining him.

"I don't know, through the town, I guess. Anything is better than sitting around doing nothing." Shirt on, Jet stood. "Who's coming with me?"

There was a chorus of unintelligible grunts and excuses of it being too hot to walk. Jet rolled his eyes, but when Katara asked he come back with something to eat, he grabbed a basket.

Of course, the unforeseeable issue with this was that, at the market, the produce stands were filled with fruits and vegetables he had never seen. It had not occurred to him that the Fire Nation had different produce than the Earth Kingdom. Apparently, he had assumed a lot of incorrect things about the Fire Nation.

So now, he was stuck, looking down at baskets and crates full of strange fruits; there were some that were bright pink and oblong, some round and green, some small, red and spikey, and some that were large, green and spikey. There was absolutely no telling what they would taste like, either.

"Too many options?"

Jet looked to the person that had stepped up next to him, surprised that he hadn't realized anyone else had approached the stand. And, to his pleasant surprise, it was a girl in pink, with a long braid and a big smile.

"Oh. Yeah, you could say that," Jet replied with his crooked smile. "Which is your favorite?"

"Hmm…." The girl put a finger to her lips, scanning all the produce, and maybe Jet should have been watching to see where she looked, but his focus was on her. It had been a while since he'd had the opportunity to flirt, and damn it, he enjoyed it. And besides, this girl looked decidedly very un-Fire Nation. It might have been the pink clothes, or that her features were so rounded and soft, instead of the sharpness of most citizens of the Fire Nation, but she reminded him a bit more of the girls back home.

"Ooh! Dragonfruit is delicious, and so pretty!" Thankfully, Jet was able to tears his eyes away in time to see her point to the pink and green fruit. But then she picked up the one that was round and green. "But I do like pomelos the best."

"Thanks," he nodded to her.

Her smile only widened. "You're welcome. I'm Ty Lee."

And it was then that Jet realized he did not know of any common Fire Nation names. "I'm, uh, Jet."

Please let his name not be a red flag.

Thankfully, Ty Lee did not seem to find the name strange at all. "It's so nice to meet you, Jet! I haven't seen you in town before. Are you new here? Oh! Are you one of the many who have come to learn from Master Piandao?"

Jet shook his head. "No, not me. My, uh, well, my friend is. I'm just passing through."

"Well, I hope your friend is accepted by him," Ty Lee responded. "I've heard he's very selective, but that's just from my aunt. I'm not from here either, just visiting." She shrugged, and Jet realized that not once had she stopped smiling throughout the conversation so far. The sweetness coming from her was strong, and yet, Jet had the feeling it was genuine.

"So where are you from?" he asked, selecting several of the dragonfruit and pomelos before paying the merchant.

"The Capital City. What about you, where are you from?"

Right. Shit. Jet should have been more prepared before engaging in conversation. "Oh, pretty far away…."

"You mean like the colonies?"

His eyes lit up, so thankful that she gave him the perfect answer. "Yeah, exactly," Jet said with a nod.

Her excitement was not one that Jet could have predicted. "Really?" Ty Lee asked, her large eyes getting brighter. "Where? I know the colonies- I mean, I kind of do. I lived there until recently. I was part of a circus for a little bit."

Well, that was intriguing. "The circus?" Unable to help himself, he looked her up and down. "What were you- an armadillo-lion tamer?"

She giggled. "No, nothing like that. I was an acrobat."

Oh, the thoughts that ran through his head. "Sounds exciting."

And then, her response was just a simple shrug and a smile, and it was just about the most endearing thing he had seen in a long time. He had clearly not let himself socialize in far too long.

"Well, Ty Lee the acrobat, maybe I'll see you around. Gotta catch up with the rest of my group." He gave her a small half salute and tucked his basked of produce under his arm. Better to end the conversation now before he did anything stupid.

Her smiled never faded. "I hope so!"

* * *

It had been an absolute _delight_ to run into that boy from the colonies.

Ty Lee really appreciated Aunt Ya opening up her home to her, and for such a long period of time. Even after just one day away from the Capital City and her family, she was feeling so much more centered and at ease. Everything was so much calmer in her aunt's house just outside of Shu Jing, and the town was so peaceful, and calm….

….And a little boring.

Ty Lee _hated_ to admit that, because Aunt Ya was very sweet, and this was _so_ much better than being at home, but after her time in the circus and then traveling with Azula, she had gotten used to a bit more of an adventurous lifestyle. It was nice to relax all day, but she wanted to do more, to see others, and make friends, to go out.

There just was not much to do in Shu Jing. There were not many, if any, young people in the town; it seemed like the town was where older generations came to live after their adult children moved out. The only time anyone young came through, they were solely focused on training with the master swordsman Piandao. And when they were rejected, they quickly left.

There simply was not much opportunity for socializing.

So when Ty Lee had seen the boy in the marketplace, she had approached him immediately. If there was an opportunity to strike up a friendship, she would take it!

And now, hours and hours later, as she lay in bed, she was still thinking about him. Ty Lee had not been prepared for him to be as cute as he was, with those dark eyes and that crooked grin, and he was so tall, and…. She really could go on and on, but the absolute best part was that he was willing to talk to her, _and_ that he had suggested the possibility of running into her again. Hopefully, the rest of her vacation would get a little livelier with Jet around. Hopefully, his friend would be accepted as an apprentice by Piandao, so he would stick around a bit longer.

It was nearly midday when Ty Lee returned to the town the next day, this time to pick up a few things for her aunt. And, maybe, she might run into Jet again.

There was no sign of him in the market square, much to her disappointment. She took her time shopping, browsing each and every tea leaf selection, appearing to agonize over every vegetable she touched before finally giving in. She was being silly, and she knew it. Azula would tease her mercilessly if she knew how desperately Ty Lee was hoping to see that boy again. But it wasn't like that! Yes, he was cute, but…

It was more than she was bored, and in dire need of social interaction. After spending weeks and months constantly at Mai and Azula's side, after having so many conversations with Zuko, not having a peer around was really difficult. The usual spring in her step was gone as she started the path back to her aunt's house.

"Hey, Ty Lee."

Ty Lee looked sharply up, jolted out of her thoughts. On a small rock outcropping by the road sat Jet, smirking down at her, and she could not help but to grin back up at him.

"Hi! I was wondering if I'd see you again!"

"Really?" Jet jumped down from the rocks and walked over to her. "I guess I should be flattered that you were thinking of me."

Ty Lee giggled lightly. "I mean, you said you're here so your friend could try to be an apprentice. I guess that worked out?"

He nodded. "Yeah, he did, Piandao accepted him. Looks like I'll be here for a bit." Then he frowned, and seemingly wondered aloud, "I wonder how long, exactly…."

"It can take ages to learn any craft," Ty Lee pointed out. "Do you think months? Or years?"

"No," Jet said quickly, shaking his head. "No, we don't have that long. Probably no longer than a week or two…."

That was surprising, and it showed on her face. "Why that little?"

There was a stiffness in Jet now, she could feel him hesitating. Odd. "We're on a schedule," Jet finally explained. "Gotta keep moving."

"Oh. Where are you headed?"

"Oh, you know, just moving westward, touring the isles." He paused and looked at her basket before smiling at her again. "Want any help with that? I'd hate to see you tire yourself out."

"Sure!" The basket was small, it was light, and it did not hold too much; Jet certainly knew that she was not going to tire herself out by carrying it. But it was such a sweet gesture, and she handed it to him. "C'mon, my aunt's house is this way."

"Your aunt?"

"Mm-hmm," Ty Lee replied with a nod. "She's letting me stay with her until I have to return to the Capital City."

"That's pretty kind of her."

Again, Ty Lee nodded in agreement. Aunt Ya was truly kind. She looked to Jet, and for the first time, noticed the strange hook like sticks he had attached to his waist. "What are those?"

Jet looked down to where she was pointing. "Oh these?" He shifted the basket from one arm to the next, so he could grasp one, pulling it out for her to see better. "Tiger blades. Pretty cool, aren't they?"

Ty Lee scrunched her nose slightly as she looked at them. "You use them to fight? I've never seen anything like them before."

"Well, I can't imagine you would have; you don't look like someone who's seen a lot of combat." And there was that charming, cheeky smirk again. Ty Lee was not about to correct him, that she had seen plenty of fighting and could probably disarm him before he even knew what was happening. That might be a blow to his ego. "Yes, I use them to fight, but only when I have to."

"But…there's no one to fight here. The town is full of old people," Ty Lee pointed out. "Why keep them with you?"

Jet shrugged, returning the blade to his hip. "Habit, I guess. I've kept them on me for years. Don't feel right without them."

"Aren't the colonies safe?"

The question seemed to confuse him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…. You're from the colonies, right? Why would you need to keep them on you if they're safe?"

"Oh." His face darkened slightly. "I didn't…. I didn't stay in the colonies for long. My parents were killed…by Earth Kingdom rebels."

Ty Lee looked away sharply. "I'm sorry." His aura, which had been a delightful and bright orange had swiftly gone dark and red; he was not sad. He was angry.

"It's fine."

She could feel that it very much was not fine. The anger there, it had come from a very deep place. But, somehow, Jet managed to shake it off, push the dark feelings away, for when she looked back at Jet, the ominous red aura had faded away.

"Sorry," he apologized. "Didn't mean for things to get so heavy there. Didn't freak you out, did I?"

"No," she said with a shake of her head.

The smile returned to his lips. "Good. I'd hate to have driven away the only cute girl in town so fast."

Her cheeks went red, and Ty Lee bit her lip to keep from grinning. It was so unbearably cheesy for him to say, but also, it was really nice to hear. And thankfully, she did not have to think of anything clever to say, for at that moment, they'd reached her aunt's house.

"Well, this is me," Ty Lee said, gesturing to the more than modestly sized home.

Jet stopped walking and scanned the building. "Huh. I was expecting something smaller."

"Why?"

"I'm just used to seeing smaller houses."

For whatever reason, that struck Ty Lee as funny, and she giggled.

"Ty Lee the acrobat-" Jet handed her the basket back, and she could only shake her head at the title. "-Thank you for allowing me to walk you home. Maybe we could plan to meet up again at some point, instead of leaving it to fate?"

As much fun as Ty Lee thought it might be to trust in fate, Jet made an exceptionally good point. "I'm free tonight, after dinner."

Apparently, that was no good, from how Jet shook his head. "No, I'm not free then. Tomorrow, midday? We could meet in the square."

"Sounds perfect!" And it did.

"Perfect," Jet agreed, and just as he had the day before, gave a lazy half salute to her before walking back up the path into town.

* * *

It would have been nice to see Ty Lee that evening, that was for certain. Anything would have been nicer than the nightly healing sessions with Katara. They felt useless at this point. She did not really know what she was doing, trying to guide Jet through memories that she herself could not be certain were real or fabricated, trying to erase the damage done by the Dai Li.

This was the agreement he had made with Sokka. If he was going to be traveling with them, he had to try to reverse the brainwashing with Katara. Jet had tried to get out of it initially, believing that without Hakoda there, no one would hold him accountable. He had been wrong.

"Where did you go today?" Katara asked him as she helped roll out his sleeping sack for him to lay on. The sun was setting, and Sokka and Aang were cleaning up from dinner. Sokka had grumbled about doing so, until Katara pointed out that she needed the time with Jet before they lost light. Toph managed to avoid such a chore in thanks to her blindness; she could not very well wash anything well without seeing.

"Just for a walk." He was being purposefully evasive.

"Did you make any friends?" Aang inquired. And this was what did get on Jet's nerves; everyone was into everyone's business in this group. No one was afforded any privacy.

Jet lay down on the mat, looking up at the sky. "No."

"He's lying," Toph sang out from the other side of the camp.

"Yeah? What's it to you?" Jet snapped back, sitting up again to glare at her.

Sokka and Aang had paused in their work, staring at Jet in surprise. "You made a friend?" Aang questioned. "That's great!"

"Why would you lie about that?" Katara asked from behind him. "It's not bad to make friends. After all, Aang made friends back at the school he attended."

"It is kind of weird," Sokka suggested. "I mean, it's Jet we're talking about, not Aang."

Well, Jet certainly took offense to that. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Aang makes friends with everyone. You…. You get a little hateful when it comes to Fire Nation."

"I think it shows growth," Katara said, and gently touched his shoulder so he would look back at her. Her smile was encouraging. "You've really matured a lot since we first met."

That was apparently all he needed to calm down. "Thanks, Katara."

"What's her name?" Aang had abandoned the job at hand, airbending over to where Jet sat. "Can we meet her?"

"Ty Lee- and look," Jet sad slowly, "I want to keep this separate, okay? I just need time…away from this." He gestured to the camp. "Nothing personal, alright?"

"Oh, I get it," Toph spoke up, and Jet could hear her grinning as she spoke. "You _like_ this girl."

"What can I say? She's pretty cute."

Behind him, Katara scoffed. "Now, come on, we're losing light." She patted his pillow, and shifted back, giving Jet room. He followed her lead and laid down again. Before she could even instruct him to do so, Jet shut his eyes, and waited for the cool sensation of the healing water by his temples.

It did not happen. After a moment, Jet opened his eyes, and was surprised to find Katara staring down at him, brow furrowed with worry.

"What?" he questioned.

"I was just wondering…. I mean, you didn't mention anything to them, right? About us?" Her eyes flicked across the clearing to Aang, and Jet nearly rolled his own in return.

"Of course not. I've got my own fake backstory; from the colonies, family killed by earth rebels. I'm not stupid."

Katara looked down at him and nodded an apology. "Of course. I just…. I had to make sure."

She took in a deep breath. "Now close your eyes. I want you to picture…."

And Jet complied, despite how useless this healing actually was. If it made Sokka get off his back about it, he would put up with it.

* * *

Daily now, they would meet by at one of the cliffs overlooking the river below to eat lunch. Jet had attempted to buy the meal for them once but had been shockingly low on coin. Ty Lee had ended up making the purchase that day, and every day onward. Before she had joined the circus, it had been unimaginable, being unable to afford anything. The circus had not paid well. It had given her freedom from her family, a way to stand out in the crowd, but it was not a comfortable way of living. She had never forgotten that.

They were seated in their usual spot, a small spread of buns, slices of roasted Komodo chicken, and fire flakes (which Ty Lee loved, but Jet found to be too spicy) between them.

"When you were in the Earth Kingdom, how far did you travel?" Ty Lee asked. "Did you get to see a lot of it?"

"Not too much," Jet responded. "I had started in Gaipan, then made my way to Ba Sing Se."

To say she was surprised to hear he had been to Ba Sing Se would have been an understatement. She blinked rapidly, trying to process, and come up with a response, but all that came out was, "Wow, you were in Ba Sing Se? I was-" She shook her head suddenly, cutting herself off. "Were you there when it was conquered?"

There were things that she was not yet ready to tell Jet. She wanted to be certain that he actually liked her before revealing more personal information.

Such as the fact that she actually came from a highly ranked noble family. Or that she had very close personal ties to the royal family. Or that she had been part of an elite task force the princess had put together that had ultimately resulted in the fall of the Ba Sing Se, the Earth Kingdom, and the Avatar himself. It was a lot to let on about. It would be a lot to learn, she was equally certain, and it was possible Jet could be intimidated by it all.

Or, even worse, that he would see her as a way to a means. It was not lost on her that she could be a steppingstone to further one's place in the world. Jet did not seem like that type of person, at least.

"…. Just before. It's not a great place. Just a lot of walls." His tone was languid; certainly, he had only seen the lower ring. Ty Lee could hardly remember it. She had only seen it in passing, as she, Mai, and Azula had arrived in Ba Sing Se, disguised as the Kiyoshi Warriors. They had mostly kept to the upper ring, which Ty Lee remembered as being rather pleasant.

She still thought of Bosco sometimes.

But how exciting to know they had been in Ba Sing Se at the same time! Or, at least, nearly the same time. Ty Lee opened her mouth, ready to remark on that coincidence before realizing that would lead to so many question's on Jet's part, questions she was not ready to answer.

So, with few other options, Ty Lee nodded along with him. "I've heard. But at least you're here, where it's so much better- and warmer too, I bet!"

Jet chuckled. "It certainly is a lot hotter than anywhere else I've ever been."

"Don't you love it? It's like a great warm hug from the sun!" Ty Lee shut her eyes as she smiled, wrapping her arms around herself, as if experiencing said embrace.

Another small laugh from Jet, and then, in a move she had not expected, she felt his lips press to her cheek. Her eyes flew open in surprise, looking at him. He only met her gaze with the same sly smile he always wore. "You're pretty cute, you know that?"

* * *

Jet quickly started looking forward to the times that Sokka had his lessons, for it was then that he had time to spend with Ty Lee.

He had not expected this at all. At first, it was light, and fun, well, because _she_ was light and fun. Her optimism was almost contagious, and it did not even matter than anything at all could make her smile; he wanted to see her smile always. It was incredibly easy to forget that she was Fire Nation. It was easy to forget the war when around her, forget the battle he was moving closer toward.

Weeks ago, Jet never could have considered that someone could shift his focus. But he had never met anyone like Ty Lee before. It took him another two days around her to realize why: she wasn't jaded. Every other person he had ever met, every girl he had ever flirted with, had been affected by the war. Even Katara, who had a heart of gold and looked for the best in everyone, held deep emotional scars. But Ty Lee, she had this playful innocence that was so utterly fascinating.

But Sokka was nearing the end of his training, and they were going to have to move on. As easy as it was to ignore the rest of the world in such a sleepy village, so far from any fighting or conflict, the war was still happening. The eclipse was rapidly approaching. They would have to leave, and very soon.

The day was hot, as always, but clear, with a calm breeze; the perfect weather to lay in the grass and soak up the sun. Jet was not enjoying it though, not as much as Ty Lee, anyway. She was stretched out, eyes closed, her head resting on Jet's chest.

"What's wrong?"

Jet raised an eyebrow, looking down at her the best he could from his angle. "What do you mean?"

"Your energy is all…icky," Ty Lee replied with a wave of her hand. "Dingey, even. What's bothering you?"

Letting his head fall back against the grass once more, Jet sighed. "…I'm leaving soon. Maybe tomorrow."

Ty Lee quickly sat up, twisting to look at him. "Really? Why so soon?"

"My friend's done his training. There's some sort of ceremony we've been invited to tomorrow morning. We'll probably leave right after it's done."

"Oh." The disappointment was clear in her voice. "Where are you going?"

"…West. Working our way in along the isles."

Ty Lee looked down at the grass, idly playing with it, before swiftly lifting her head to meet his gaze once more. "Are you heading to the capital?" she asked a little hopefully.

"Yeah," Jet nodded, shifted to bring one arm behind his head as a pillow. "Eventually. Probably won't get there for a few weeks."

"That's great!"

"How so?"

She was nearly beaming, she was grinning so widely. "I live in the capital, remember? I'm just visiting my aunt here. We could see each other again at the capital!"

Suddenly, Jet realized he had never considered one very important thing. He gulped, struggling to keep his expression light, flirty, and not at all panicking. "Yeah…. When are you going back? Not for a while?"

Ty Lee shook her head. "No, I have to go home soon. I, well, I promised a friend I would be home in the next week, and I can _not_ break a promise to her."

"No more vacations planned?" Jet pushed, hoping.

No such luck.

"Mmmnope!" Ty Lee let herself fall forward, so that she was laying beside Jet on her stomach, propped her chin up in her hands. "This is the only vacation for me this summer. Trust me, you've made it absolutely perfect. I didn't expect to meet someone half as charming or as cute as you are. I'm really lucky."

She was hoping for a kiss. Jet could feel it. And, in any other circumstances, he would be happy to oblige. But right now, internally, he was focused on only one thing: Ty Lee would be in the Capital City during the eclipse.

* * *

"I want to tell Ty Lee about the invasion."

It was just after dinner, and as usual, Katara was preparing for another healing session as Aang and Sokka cleaned up after the meal. Toph was lounging, as she usually did, or at least, she had been, until Jet had spoken. While his words seemed to have rendered Aang and the Water Tribe siblings speechless, Toph clearly had not lost her voice.

"You want to _what_?"

Jet should have expected such a reaction. In fact, if he had actually been thinking clearly, he would have found it strange that Sokka hadn't also leapt down his throat at such a suggestion.

"She's from the capital," Jet explained, avoiding everyone's eyes. "She'll be back there by the time of the eclipse. I don't want her to get hurt."

"Jet," Katara started gently, only to be cut off by Toph.

"Are you stupid? I know you like her, but she's _Fire Nation_ -"

"She's not like that!" Jet snapped back. "She's- she's different!"

"No, Toph is right." Sokka has his arms folded in front of his chest, and he shook his head. "Look, she might not be inherently evil, but she probably doesn't think that the Fire Nation is. She could end up blowing the whole plan."

Aang stepped forward. "It's just not a good idea, Jet. But nothing should happen to her anyway. We're targting Ozai, not the people of the capital."

Jet's scowl only deepened. "There's _always_ civilian casualties."

"No," Sokka said firmly. "The plan does not call for that."

"Oh yeah?" Jet challenged. "How many times were there casualties when the Fire Nation came to the south pole looking for water benders? Or was it only the soldiers who died?"

That earned him a hard glare from both Sokka and Katara. "That's different."

"No, it isn't."

"Jet, listen to reason," Katara pushed in. "The majority of the fighting isn't even supposed to be _in_ the city, just getting there. While we fight the soldiers, Aang will be going alone into the city, and you know he won't hurt any civilians."

Aang nodded in agreement. "She will be fine, just like every other person in the Capital City. I promise."

Jet wasn't so sure.

* * *

The sun had set several hours ago, but Ty Lee could not sleep. Her thoughts, as they so recently did, were on Jet, and her day with him.

It had been a nice day. They had eaten together, walked around the town, relaxed on one of the many grassy hills surrounding Shu Jing. And they had talked; of course, they had talked. Jet was so easy to converse with, she often found herself almost saying more than she wanted to. He was charismatic and kind, and she was so comfortable that everything she was purposely keeping from him was threatening to spill out.

They had said goodbye earlier when the time came for him to turn in. He did not know if he would get another chance to see her before leaving, he explained. Just in case, he had said. Just in case he was not able to find her again.

Ty Lee had been certain he would kiss her then. They had flirted _so much_ , and Ty Lee happened to think that she was very good at flirting; it never had been hard for her to grab the attention of any young man. She had been ready. She wanted the kiss so badly, and he had looked like he had wanted to as well…

But he hadn't. Instead, Jet had taken her hand, squeezing it gently, and he had seemed on the cusp of telling her something, only to decide not to. His aura had gone dark again; not angry and red as it had been the day he had spoken of his parents' deaths, but muddy. Overwhelmed. Complex thoughts were plaguing him.

Ty Lee could only imagine what those thoughts might be.

She let out an irritated sigh, rolling onto her back. It could have been the perfect ending to the time they had spent together, if only-

There was suddenly a weird tapping noise at her wall; Ty Lee stared at the wall by her open window, frowning. What…?

Again, the tap came, and once more, and then a small pebble came through the window. Curiosity getting the better of her, Ty Lee pulled her blanket back, and stood up to investigate. Upon looking out her window, Ty Lee frowned at the figure below, until she realized who it was.

"Jet?"

He made a beckoning gesture, but said nothing, probably to avoid waking her aunt. Ty Lee grinned, pushing her window open wider, before carefully climbing out of it. Of course, she landed perfectly safely, but from Jet's wide eyes, he had had his doubts.

"I'm an acrobat, remember?" Ty Lee pointed out teasingly. "But Jet, what are you doing here? It's the middle of the night."

"I know," he nodded. "But I didn't like how we parted earlier. I just…. Ty Lee, I need you to know…."

She tilted her head slightly, looking up at him as he took her hands in his own. Her heart was beating rapidly, nearly drowning Jet out, but she wanted so desperately to hear every word he was about to say. Gently, he tugged her closer, and one hand moved to the small of her back, keeping her where he wanted her.

"When I get to the capital, I promise you…"

He leaned in, there was no distance between them, and Ty Lee let her eyes shut just before she felt his breath on her lips. This was the first kiss between them and if she had a moment to think of it all, she would be torn over how romantic this moment he chose for it was, and the frustration that this might be the only kiss they would share. She stood on her toes, reaching up to meet him, taking advantage of every second they had.

And then, after, he held her close, and she could hear his heartbeat as he spoke, finishing his thought.

"I promise I will look out for you."

* * *

That night was the last time Ty Lee saw Jet. She had looked for him, and waited for him the next day, but he never appeared for their usual lunch date. Of course, Ty Lee had known this could happen. Still, she had hoped that he might be around for one more day.

She thought of his last words to her, the promise to look for her, often, nearly as often as she thought of the kiss itself. The rest of her vacation is Shu Jing passed by without much event, and soon she had returned to the Capital City.

However, she had hardly come home that she was leaving again. Azula and Zuko were being set away to Ember Island for a short while, and the princess had decided she wanted the company of someone other than Zuko for the forced vacation. It was for the best, really; Ty Lee would much prefer to be with friends than her own family. And, maybe, she and Zuko could have their early morning conversations again!

She had not counted on Zuko being in an absolutely foul mood from the moment they boarded their ship to Ember Island. He seemed much testier than she had last seen him; she would have to ask Mai what had started this when they were alone. However, Mai was also giving off weird and tense vibrations.

"I'm so excited to spend the weekend on Ember Island," Ty Lee said brightly, hoping to bring some positivity to the group. "It's going to be great to hang out on the beach and do nothing."

Azula, for once, seemed open for pleasant conversation.

"Didn't you just come back from a long vacation?" she asked with a sigh.

"Yes, but that was by myself," Ty Lee pointed out, turning to look at the princess. "This time I'll be with you guys!"

Mai, who had been sitting quietly with Zuko, looked at the two of them. "How was your vacation?"

"Really great," Ty Lee beamed, more than ready to finally tell them all about Jet, because, really, it was a super romantic story and she desperately wanted to share it someone. "I mean, it was boring at first, but then I met this boy and-"

"Ty Lee, you met a boy? What else is new; that the sky is blue?" Azula mocked, feigning disinterest

That hurt unexpectedly. Ty Lee was used to Azula's careless way with words, but now, she was genuinely excited to share. Thankfully, she was saved from deflating by Mai, who asked, though appearing only half interested in the topic, "What's he like?"

"Well, he's really tall, and really cute!" Ty Lee gushed. "He's charming, and confident- oh, and he's from the colonies-"

"Ugh, Earth Kingdom trash," Azula muttered, examining her nails.

"-And he has traveled _a lot_. He even had been to Ba Sing Se, and it sounds like he must've been there around the same time we were. Can you imagine if I'd just met him then? We might actually be going steady by now!"

Azula sighed, giving Ty Lee a look that she knew all too well. It was part sympathy, part pity; she saved it for when she thought she was at her stupidest. "He was pulling your leg, Ty Lee. Ba Sing Se never just _let_ Fire Nation in, even colony garbage. He was probably just trying to impress you by lying."

Ty Lee frowned, nearly a scowl. " _We_ got in. So did Zuko."

"And we all were pretending to be citizens of the Earth Kingdom." Azula rolled her eyes.

"I don't know," Ty Lee pushed. "Jet didn't seem to be lying…"

For some reason, that seemed to jerk Zuko out of his silent glowering. He lifted his head, eyes sharp and on her. "Did you say Jet?"

"Yep! It's a little strange, I know, but I figure it might just be a name that's common in the colonies."

Ty Lee did not know what to make of Zuko's expression. Confusion? Realization? Somewhere in between, maybe; it was as if he was recalling something he had not thought of in some time. She was not the only one to notice the strangeness in him.

"What is it, Zu-Zu?" Azula asked, her tone anything but playful. Ty Lee straightened up ever so slightly. Azula was grasping at something, was putting something together.

Zuko shook his head, frowning. "It's nothing."

"Come on, that's not true. Something about his name interests you," his sister pushed. "What is it?"

Ty Lee glanced from Zuko to Azula, not sure what exactly was going on. While she never considered herself to be stupid, she knew she was not on the same level as the princess; she could always catch onto things faster than Ty Lee ever could. This was one of those moments, and she desperately wished she could connect the dots.

"I met someone by that name," Zuko said slowly. "On the ferry to Ba Sing Se."

 _That_ was what Azula was grasping at. "See!" Ty Lee chirped. "I told you he'd been to Ba Sing Se!"

"Or maybe it's just a common Earth Kingdom name," Mai sighed. "No big mystery or coincidence. Life isn't that interesting."

Azula was strangely quiet, watching everyone closely.

"…What does he look like?" Zuko probed, apparently more intrigued than his girlfriend was. "Jet- I mean, the Jet you met."

This was just perfect. Ty Lee had wanted to be able to gush about Jet to someone for what had felt like ages, and finally, _someone_ was interested. "Oh, he is _so_ cute! He's tall, like I said, maybe even taller than you, Zuko- oh, what am I saying, of course he is. His hair is dark brown, and it's really messy- that's how I knew he had to be from the colonies. And he has dark eyes that are so mysterious and dreamy." She ended her description with a little sigh, just imagining Jet.

Hopefully, whenever he arrived at the capital, they would be able to find each other easily.

If there was any doubt of if Zuko was frowning before, there was none now, from how deeply his brow was furrowed. "Does he carry weapons?"

Ty Lee cocked her head slightly. It was a strange question, pointed. "Yes, but they're weird. Like swords, but instead they're-"

"-Hooks."

Zuko had finished her sentence for her. She stared at him in shock.

"How did you know? You- Jet is the same boy you met on the ferry!" Excitement began to course through her, and she looked a little triumphantly at Azula. "See? Jet did get into Ba Sing Se!"

But Zuko did not seem to share her glee at this realization. He had settled back against the cushions, once again wearing the same deep scowl from when he'd first boarded the ship.

"What is it?" Mai questioned in a tone that Ty Lee felt was remarkably gentle. Zuko exhaled loudly through his nose, before looking at Ty Lee.

"Jet lied to you."

"What? No, he didn't. You met him in Ba Sing Se; that proves he really was there."

"No, he lied to you about who he was," Zuko said forcefully, looking her in the eye. "Jet isn't from the colonies. He isn't Fire Nation. He's from the Earth Kingdom, and he _hates_ the Fire Nation."

That could not be right. Everything in her was telling Ty Lee to reject what the prince was saying, that it didn't make sense. Why would Jet have flirted with her, spent so much time with her, why would he have kissed her if….

"I don't think so," she shook her head. "Why would Jet be _here_ if he hates the Fire Nation?"

Azula let out a small snort of amusement, bringing everyone's attention back to her. A smirk rest upon her lips. "Why, indeed."


	4. With Cinnamon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Azula decides she wants to meet Jet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Accompanying playlist:
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2fYMKVtqxHQtpbXJH53mdl
> 
> I make playlists to keep me inspired for the theme of my fics. This playlist is for the whole of the story, not just this chapter. So if a song seems out of place, we simply haven't reached that point in the fic yet. :)

The sunrises on Ember Island were known to be among the most beautiful in the whole of the Fire Nation, if not the entire world, and right now, Ty Lee found herself to be in complete agreement. She had awoken not long ago after their first night on the island, and upon stepping out onto the small deck of Lo and Li's charming house, was absolutely breathless at the sight. Normally, she would start her morning stretches almost immediately, but instead found herself simply sitting, watching the sunrise over the sea. Normal routines could wait; this was just as healing for the soul as meditation.

The night before, Ty Lee decided, had been a gift. True, emotions had run high, there had been arguments, but in the end, they all had shared with each other. And that was really almost miraculous. Ty Lee had known all of them- though, of course, Zuko less so- for the majority of her life, and while she claimed Mai and Azula as close friends, she was only as close as they would let her to be. Mai was private, and Azula never wanted to show anyone her hand, even as a child. But last night, they had all opened up, and Ty Lee for one, felt that their friendship had never been stronger!

Behind her came the scrape of the door sliding open; Ty Lee glanced over her shoulder and smiled broadly. "Good morning, Zuko!"

He nodded a greeting, stretching his arms overhead as he stifled a yawn, then paused, apparently noticing that Ty Lee was only sitting. "No yoga this morning?"

If possible, Ty Lee would have smiled even wider. He had remembered her morning ritual! Not that it was surprising; Zuko was very perceptive. It was still nice to know that he had taken note of it.

"Not yet," she responded, looking back out at the horizon. "I'm enjoying the view first."

"Hn." Zuko walked up beside her. "…Wow."

"I know," Ty Lee sighed in agreement. "Isn't Ember Island wonderful? It just feels like it's trying to heal us in every way."

Zuko did not respond. Instead he approached the rail of the deck, resting against it. Silence settled in between them, and it was simply perfect. Too much talk would ruin the serenity of the moment. They remained there, as the sun rose higher and higher, until the bright pinks and oranges began to fade.

"Hey." Zuko glanced back at Ty Lee, perhaps to make sure she had heard him, before continuing. "I want to apologize. For calling you names last night. I…was frustrated, and I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

The apology was a surprise, but not an unpleasant one. "Thank you. But I really didn't take it as an insult," Ty Lee assured him. "I meant it, 'circus freak' is more of a compliment, to me at least."

He nodded, then stepped away from the rail to take a seat by Ty Lee. They both were facing out to sea now, and separately went through their morning routines; as Ty Lee stretched her muscles and opened her chakras, Zuko performed his breathing exercises.

She felt so at peace. Everything was aligning so well.

"Ty Lee."

Opening her eyes, she looked over at Zuko. He was seated fairly similarly to her lotus pose, but when she looked at him, he had dropped out of his stiff posture. "I was wondering if we could talk about Jet," he continued. "How we both know him."

"What about that?" Ty Lee did not especially want to talk about this. The way Azula had become so interested the day before, it put her on edge. Thankfully, the topic was dropped as they reached the island, and was not brought up again. "I mean, I guess it is a little interesting that we both met him, but… I don't know. The way you described him, it doesn't sound like Jet. So maybe we didn't meet the same Jet! Maybe we met two different people named Jet. Or maybe he was just pretending to hate the Fire Nation to get into Ba Sing Se. We all had to pretend to be Earth Kingdom to get in; I don't see why Jet couldn't have, too."

Her eyes were fixed on Zuko, hoping that he would like one of her explanations, that he would accept one as the truth and drop the topic. The more that they discussed Jet, the more likely Azula would end up in one of the conversations, and something was telling her not to let that happen.

But Zuko's expression was dark, his thoughts were troubling him, and she could just see that he was not going to let this go.

"We both know that we are talking about the same Jet," he said slowly. He was being surprisingly gentle in tone. "It's his swords, the tiger blades. I've never seen anyone else use them; I had never even heard of them before I met Jet." He let out a long sigh. "And I don't think Jet was lying to me-"

"Well I don't think he lied to _me_ ," Ty Lee cut in, earning a glare from Zuko

"When I say that Jet hates the Fire Nation, I mean he _hates_ it." There was a bitterness in his voice when saying 'hate.' "I traveled the Earth Kingdom; I was in the towns, among the average citizens. They all dislike us, but Jet…."

Zuko shook his head. "My uncle and I met him on the way in to Ba Sing Se; we were posing as Earth Kingdom, and we were _careful_. No fire bending. No talk of home, or our real names, or anything. We didn't slip up once, I'm sure of it. But somehow, Jet…. He figured it out. I don't know how. We didn't see him for weeks, but then, one day, he snapped or something. He confronted us, he was almost manic, and he attacked me. I think- he was trying to get me to fire bend, I'm sure of it."

Ty Lee swallowed. That information, everything Zuko was saying, it directly contradicted all she knew about Jet. How could he be so kind to her if he hated who she was? Surely, if what Zuko said was true, Jet would have gone on a murderous rampage of Shu Jing, not casually spending his days with her, eating together, flirting.

"Do you think that maybe…you misunderstood?" she suggested. "Maybe you did something to Jet? I don't know, I just can't imagine him doing that."

The Fire Nation prince only gave a short shake of his head. "No. We had gotten along well. Really well. But once he was convinced that I was Fire Nation, it was all over. The hatred he has for us runs deep. The way he was attacking me, one of us would have ended up dead if the Dai Li hadn't arrested him."

"The Dai Li arrested Jet? How interesting."

Ty Lee jumped, turning around. Azula was behind the both of them, still in her bed clothes, arms crossed over her chest. Quickly, Ty Lee pushed down any negative feelings she had concerning her friend and greeted her warmly. "Good morning, Azula. Did you sleep well?"

"As well as I could on the pathetic excuse for beds here." Azula yawned, though Ty Lee could not be certain if it was for show or not. "I heard you to chattering away, and thought I'd come see what was so interesting."

Azula stepped forward, between Ty Lee and Zuko, to lean against the rail as she faced them. "So, your boyfriend had been arrested by the Dai Li? You really know how to choose them, Ty Lee." She turned her eyes on Zuko. "What happened after he was arrested?"

Ty Lee watched Zuko closely, wanting him to speak carefully, not to reveal anything. Why it was so important still, if anything Zuko had told her was true, she had no clue, but she knew she wanted Azula to know as little about Jet as possible.

Zuko was eyeing his sister warily; he wore that look often with her. "I don't know," he finally settled on saying. "I never saw him again."

Azula's sharp eyes flicked from Zuko to Ty Lee. "I see. I don't suppose you know anything of the Dai Li would do to those who they arrested?"

Ty Lee frowned deeply. Though they had worked closely with the Dai Li, Ty Lee had never been privy to their innerworkings. Only Azula had been. "No, Azula."

"Hn." The princess smiled, that cold smile that Ty Lee had seen too many times, the smile she saved for when she was scheming. "Well. When we get back home, Ty Lee, we will have a project together, just us two."

"Project?"

"Oh, don't worry about it now," Azula said, waving a hand as she walked back towards the door. "Let's not spoil the vacation with work."

And then Azula was back inside, shutting the door behind her, and leaving Ty Lee feeling nothing but trepidation. Every muscle in her body was tense, all the stretches from earlier seemingly pointless. She could feel it: Jet was in danger. How, she did not know. Even harder to shake was the thought that she should not care. If what Zuko had said about him was true, Jet was not a friend. He was a liar.

Yet, she worried for him now.

"…Are you okay?"

Zuko's voice snapped her out of her head. It only took a moment to squash her worries, and look at the prince, a small smile forced upon her lips. "Yes, of- of course I am."

To his credit, Zuko saw right through the lie. "I didn't mean for her to overhear," he said slowly. "And I didn't…. If Jet is lying to you, you should know. Know before anything bad happens."

Ty Lee blinked, processing what Zuko was saying, and slowly, her smile became genuine. He was looking out for her, treating her just as a friend would. "Thank you," she said sincerely.

* * *

Ty Lee inhaled deeply as she followed Azula off of the ship. They had reached Fire Fountain City, and according to Azula, they had every reason to believe that Jet would be there.

That was the work that Azula had alluded to on Ember Island: tracking down Jet. The reasoning was that, if Jet hated the Fire Nation as much as Zuko said he had and was suddenly in the Fire Nation pretending to be a citizen, he must be there for a nefarious purpose. It was even possible that he was tied up into the 'invasion' plan the Earth King had told them about; however, Azula did speak doubtfully of this theory when they began their journey.

From Shu Jing, following leads and what little Ty Lee could remember of what Jet had told her, they moved westward, from island to island. Once again, Ty Lee was awed by Azula's cleverness, her intuition. It almost did not seem to matter where they went, for they would find information confirming that Jet had been there, with four others. The descriptions of the others, even to Ty Lee, were shockingly similar to the group the Avatar had traveled in. Azula could not have missed it either, though she did not reveal anything.

"Are you certain he's here?" Ty Lee spoke doubtfully, though perhaps that was merely projection. By no account did Ty Lee want to find Jet, not with Azula so close by.

"He's here." The confidence Azula had was rather admirable. "Do you remember what you are supposed to do?"

Ty Lee nodded. "It's just…such a strange thing to say, Azula, and…." She took another breath. "What will happen when I say it? I know he might be the enemy, but I don't…. I do not want to hurt him. He was really kind."

Azula let out a sigh, turning to face Ty Lee. Instead of wearing the usual royal armor, the princess was in plainclothes, meant to fit in with the locals. "If Jet is who he said he is, there is no reason to hurt him, and the phrase I've given you won't work. And, if he isn't…. Well, wouldn't you say it is our duty to ensure the safety of our great nation from invaders?"

There was that cold smirk tugging at the corner of Azula's lips. Slowly, because she knew better than to press the issue, Ty Lee nodded.

"Good. Now, go get him."

* * *

Jet felt rather good about how things had been going lately.

They were making good time, traveling steadily closer to the capital. Sokka said they were right on schedule, if not a little bit ahead of it, which was perfect. The town they had made camp outside of was Fire Fountain City, so called for the obnoxious statue of Ozai in the center. The propaganda of the Fire Nation was really something to behold.

The best part of the town was how seedy it was. This made sense to Jet. Crooks and cheats were the same everywhere, it seemed, and with Toph's brilliant acting and earth bending, they were making the most of their time in the city. Even Katara, who had initially been against the clever thievery, came around.

Jet chose not to participate in any of their shenanigans. It was more amusing to sit back and watch, to scout out new places to pull a scam. So, while Katara and Toph worked on their apparently final scheme, Jet was out, walking the streets, seeing what there was to see.

He did not expect to see _her._

It was on a side street, down a ways from the statue at the center of the city, and it was only out of the corner of his eye, but there was a sudden flash of pink and Jet whipped his head around. She was walking away from him, but there was no mistaking her, from the long braid, to the outfit, to even just the bounce in her step. He did not think; he just ran.

"Ty Lee?"

She turned when he called her name, and Jet nearly let out a sigh of relief that it _was_ her. And there was that great big smile he had missed. "Jet! Hi."

Strangely, the enthusiasm he had gotten used to back on Shu Jing was not quite there. And though she was smiling at him, it did not fully reach her eyes.

"Hey," he said upon reaching her. "I thought it was you; what are you doing here? I thought you had gone back to the capital?"

Ty Lee shrugged. "Oh, you know, I just thought I'd travel a bit more."

Jet raised an eyebrow, looking around them. Fire Fountain City was not exactly a tourist destination. The streets themselves were dirty, and fairly dangerous when the sun went down. "…You've got family here, too?" he ventured a guess.

"Something like that." She kept looking down, away from him, biting her lip.

"Hey, are you okay?" He took hold of her hand gently. "You seem nervous."

There, a more genuine smile, though slightly sad. Ty Lee squeezed his hand appreciatively and took in a deep breath.

"I have to say something, and it might sound really weird," she started, looking up at him, and somehow, there was almost fear in her large eyes. "I- my friend says I have to say it, and it probably is nothing, and will mean nothing, so please, don't- don't think anything of it, okay?"

Jet knit his brows, shaking his head. "What are you talking about? Your friend?"

With a nod, Ty Lee took in a deep breath. "I'm just going to say it: The Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai."

For a split second, Jet felt only panic and fear at those words, and then, there was nothing.

* * *

"Azula, help! Azula!"

Ty Lee had slammed open the door to the building Azula had told her to go to after finding Jet. It had once been a house, or perhaps a storefront, but had been long abandoned. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she pulled Jet in behind her.

After speaking that strange phrase about the Earth King, Jet had gone stiff, letting go of her arm. His eyes had dilated, and he had repeated back something about being honored, but Ty Lee hadn't been able to listen. For nearly the instant she had spoken, his aura, which had been a lovely turquoise, had vanished.

There was no color surrounding him. He had no aura at all.

Ty Lee had screamed, had called his name, cupped his cheeks, pleaded with him to come back. He had only stood stiffly, eyes vacant, nothing stirring within him. It was as if she had killed him. So she had done the only thing she could think of: dragged him to where she was to meet Azula.

If Azula knew the phrase to render Jet so- so void of everything, then Azula had to know how to set him back to how he was.

"Ty Lee, what- oh." Azula had been sitting in an old chair, one of the few pieces of furniture left behind, but had stood up when Jet was forced inside. " _Oh._ "

"I did it, I said the phrase," Ty Lee sobbed, not letting go of Jet, even as Azula approached them. "And he just- he stopped-"

"Calm down, he's just hypnotized; what did you expect? The phrase you said is what put him under."

"Make it stop! His aura, it's- it's-"

"Ty Lee, get a hold of yourself!" Azula snapped. "We came here to see if Jet is who he told you he was. He isn't. It's time to find out what he is doing here."

Azula wasn't listening. Somehow, Azula found it more pertinent, more dire, to question Jet than free him from whatever horrible place he had been cast down into. Ty Lee was near hysterics, gulping for air as she looked at Jet, standing still, emotionless, soulless. She had done this. She had taken away everything that made Jet human.

Beside her, Azula let out an exasperated sigh, grasped Ty Lee by her forearms. "Ty Lee, listen to me. Calm down. There is no reason to hurt him."

Ty Lee didn't know how to explain that whatever physical damage they could do was nothing compared to what had already been done. She breathed in deep, forcing several calming breaths, and nodded. No matter what, she had to stay in control of herself. If she continued in this state, Azula might send her away, and she couldn't do that, she couldn't leave him now. She needed to stay by Jet's side until he was returned to normal.

"Good." Azula let go of Ty Lee and faced Jet.

Ty Lee lowered her eyes to the ground as Azula began questioning Jet. Even without looking at him, even with her eyes squeezed tightly shut, she could still see the void in his eyes.

* * *

The ship ride back to the capital was long, and the only solace Ty Lee had was that Azula kept to her own quarters.

Try as she might, Ty Lee could not stop replaying in her head how Jet had changed when she had said that horrible phrase to him. It was burned into her memory, his aura disappearing, his stiffness, how he did not react to her, did not seem to know her.

Everyone had an aura. Every man and woman and child, every animal, all had auras. Only the dead did not. What she had done... It was as if she had killed him.

They had not taken Jet with them. No, according to Azula, there was no need. She sent him off, back to the Avatar, with no memory of running into Ty Lee, no memory of Azula's interrogation. Ty Lee had watching him walk away, waiting for his aura to come back, and while she could not be certain, she thought she saw a tinge of blue surround him just before Azula ordered her back to the ship.

Ty Lee hugged her knees tightly to her chest as she sat alone in her cabin. In a day, they would be back at the capital. Azula had forbid her of speaking to anyone about what had happened, and had mused on how useful it could be, to adopt the Dai Li's ability to brainwash their enemies. It turned her stomach. Squeezing her eyes shut, Ty Lee pressed her forehead to her knees, and repeated to herself what Azula had said:

_Jet is the enemy. Jet is the enemy. Jet is the enemy._

But it did not matter how many times she said it, how many times she reminded herself that he was among those who meant to attack her homeland, it just did not feel right. Jet had been kind, and sweet, and she had felt so safe in his presence. Earlier, on the street, when he had recognized she was upset, he had been genuinely concerned for her; would a bad guy do that?

Most people Ty Lee knew would not have worried about her like he had, would not have bothered to care for her emotional state at all.

The way he would wait for her in Shu Jing, how carefully and gently he would hold her hand, the way he came to her on the last night before he left and promised to find her again-

No. Ty Lee's eyes widened as she thought of his words that night. _'When I get to the capital, I promise I will look out for you.'_ Not find her, look out for her. Oh, he had worded it so cleverly, so she would have thought nothing of it, but he had promised her to keep her safe during the battle that was to come. Without realizing it, she had begun to cry again.

Jet was not bad. Jet was caring and protective, but not bad. And now, thanks to her, Jet was in danger.

She had failed to protect him earlier today. She would not do the same again.

* * *

It had taken an agonizingly long time for Ty Lee to not only come up with a plan, but act on it.

Really, the plan was not actually a plan at all, when she thought about it. Well, there was a small idea there, that maybe could be fleshed out into real action, but Ty Lee was not fooling herself into thinking that she was clever enough to come up with a way to save Jet on her own, or anything close to the sort.

There were many risks with what she had to do, and she had to trust completely in a couple of people, an act that was terrifying in itself. That had been a startling realization: that there was not a single person she knew she could count on, not with this. She could only hope that Mai and Zuko would put as much trust in her as she did them.

She stood before Mai's house, willing her racing heart to calm down. Mai was not expecting her, a breach in the usual protocol among nobles. But it had to be this way. Ty Lee had considered sneaking inside to find Mai, but had decided that was not the best route to take. Taking a deep breath, she reached up, taking hold of the large brass knocker, and knocked.

A few moments later, a servant appeared at the door. "Ty Lee," she said, bowing. "I do apologize for your wait. Mai must have forgotten that you are visiting today."

"It's okay!" Ty Lee assured the older woman. "I was just passing by, and thought I'd say hi." And, knowing this was the best way to ensure seeing Mai, she slipped through the door and past the servant. "I can go find her myself; where is she?"

"Oh, ah, the young lady is in the garden, but-"

"Thanks!" Ty Lee cheerily bounded down the hall, knowing Mai's house somewhat well, though not nearly as well as she would have liked.

The friendship they held was strange. It was the power dynamic within it; Azula always at the top, Mai and Ty Lee always there to follow along with her plans. It left little opportunity for them to actually bond.

She pushed open the door to the garden. In the center was Mai with her back to the house, knife in hand, and a target set up on the other side of the open space. At the sound of the door, Mai had looked over her shoulder, paused, then turned to face her.

"Ty Lee," she said plainly, but Ty Lee knew she was surprised. It was difficult to navigate the subtlety of Mai's emotions, but she had gotten better at it. "What are you doing here?" A soft exhale, a sigh. "…What does Azula want?"

She should have realized that was the conclusion Mai would have come to. How often had the two of them done anything together without Azula, or without Azula's direction?

"Azula didn't send me," Ty Lee explained, stepping off of the small porch to stand on the grass with Mai. "I came on my own."

Mai stared at her for a moment, and then with a deft motion, turned, expertly throwing the knife into the center of the target. Empty handed, she turned back to Ty Lee.

"You…just came to visit for no reason?" she questioned, apparently unable to believe it. Ty Lee couldn't blame her.

"Well, no," Ty Lee admitted. "I have a favor I wanted to ask you."

"A favor."

Ty Lee nodded. "A big one. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind inviting Zuko over? I mean, inviting him to see you, but it will really be for me, but Zuko can't know that. It has to be secret."

She fidgeted under Mai's unwavering gaze. It was hard to tell if Mai was considering helping her, or merely thought she was crazy.

"Let me get this straight," Mai finally spoke. "You want me to arrange a secret meeting for you with my boyfriend, that he won't know he's attending. Are you going to tell me why?"

This was ludicrous. Ty Lee knew this, even as she shook her head. "I can't. I'm- I'm sorry Mai. I just really need you to trust me."

After a moment, Mai let out a sigh and shrugged. "Fine. Whatever you need."

"Really?!" Ty Lee let out a small shriek of surprise and launched herself at Mai to hug her tightly. "Thank you so much!"

Another sigh from Mai. "Just…tell me what this is all about when you can."

Ty Lee took a step back, and nodded, choosing not to speak, for if she did, she would surely let too much out. Mai frowned, gently putting a hand on Ty Lee's shoulder.

"This is something big, isn't it?" Mai asked softly, and for some reason, that quiet understanding caused a wave of emotion to ripple through Ty Lee, overwhelming her. Mai drew her into a hug this time, as her eyes filled with tears. "Come over tomorrow, just after lunch. Zuko will be here."

* * *

As she sat in the tearoom of Mai's family's home, Ty Lee scolded herself for ever doubting that Mai would help her. If anything, she was doing everything possible to make sure Ty Lee was as comfortable as possible with this meeting. She had realized that this meeting called for absolute secrecy and had made certain that not even the servants knew Ty Lee was in the home. There were no parents around to find her either; both of Mai's parents were still in the Earth Kingdom, governing over New Ozai. Ty Lee couldn't be certain, but she was rather confident that Mai had figured out at least a partial reasoning for keeping everything so secretive:

Ty Lee did not want Azula to find out that she was meeting with her brother.

She wanted advice from him. If there was anyone she could talk to about this, it was Zuko. He had known Jet, and in a way, he knew the group that traveled with the Avatar. The topic they would discuss could be considered treasonous. Ty Lee knew this. That was why she could not tell Mai about it, why she had requested Mai not be present.

The door to the room slid open, and Ty Lee looked up as Zuko entered, confusion written all over his face. "Ty Lee?" He looked back over his shoulder at Mai, who remained in the doorway. "Why is she here?"

"Ty Lee wants to talk to you about something," Mai responded with a shrug. "She asked me to set this up for her. Come find me when you're done."

Mai kissed Zuko's cheek and left before allowing him a chance to ask any questions. He stared at the closed door for a moment, then turned to face Ty Lee. "What's going on?"

She took in a deep breath from where she was sitting. This was happening now. She only had to get the words out, and this was the most terrifying part, actually starting the conversation.

"Zuko," Ty Lee began, and inhaled once more. "I-" She paused again, letting out a small grunt in frustration. She needed to be brave now. She needed to take the risk, and trust in Zuko. "This isn't easy for me. It's scary. I'm not that brave. But I have talk to you about this. So. Um."

A slow exhale. Zuko, now curious, or perhaps alarmed, took a seat across from her.

"You knew Jet, right?" Ty Lee asked. "I mean, before he attacked you. You had to have known him a little, right?"

Zuko was frowning. "Why? Look, I wasn't trying to get you worked up about him, when I told you what he did."

"No, that's not it," she insisted with a shake of her head. "It's… Azula and I tracked Jet. That's where we were for the last week. We found him. He's…exactly who you said he was." Her fists were clenched, remembering how the encounter had gone.

"Oh." It was clear that Zuko did not know what to do with this information. "I'm… I'm sorry."

"We- It was horrible, it was so bad." Despite her best efforts, Ty Lee was crying again. "He was- There was a phrase Azula made me say, and it-" She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand, but it was useless. They kept coming. "The Dai Li, they had hypnotized him when they had arrested him, and Azula learned the phrase to put him under, and he…. He just became a shell. He wasn't there, Zuko. He- He was physically there, but Jet was gone, he was empty!"

Zuko's eyes were wide, and Ty Lee was only just barely keeping herself composed.

"I've tried, Zuko, I've tried to tell myself that Jet is the enemy, that he is bad, and that maybe this is okay because he _is_ part of the enemy's plans to attack the capital during the eclipse, but…. I can't! I can't think of him as bad, and I can't reason that he deserved that. It was like he was dead, all life taken from him. No one deserves that! And I think about everything I know about him, how he's kind, and how he made me laugh, and it's just evil to do that to a person, isn't it? To make them into a husk of a human?"

Tears were flowing freely now, she did not even attempt to dry her cheeks anymore. There was no point.

"Why are you telling me this?" It was a simple question from the prince, reasonable enough to want to know.

"Because I need to know- You knew Jet. You were friends, weren't you? I could hear it, when you talked about him, you were sad that he had fought you-"

"We weren't friends," Zuko cut her off, and Ty Lee stopped, her breath hitching. Had she miscalculated? Was it stupid to have trusted Zuko with this information, her doubts on Jet's villainy? But then, he continued, "If things had gone differently, we might have been. But we didn't have the chance."

Ty Lee sniffled, wiping her tears away. "Do you think Jet is bad?"

"…No." The prince had not even needed to think about it. "No, I don't."

That was what she had wanted to hear, and Ty Lee smiled a little. "I don't either."

"Is this what you wanted to talk to me about?" Zuko questioned, though his tone was not angry or harsh. He was confused. "You had Mai arrange this all just to confirm that Jet isn't evil?"

"No, no, it's bigger than that!" Ty Lee assured Zuko, and what a strange thing to assure. "It's…. Jet is traveling with the Avatar." Again, her news caught Zuko by surprise, judging from his facial expression. "He's- he's alive, and Azula, she said we can't tell anyone, and that feels wrong, but then I also think of how Jet, how he's good. And it's confusing, I mean, we're the good guys, right? And the Avatar and his friends, they're bad? But how can they be bad if Jet is among them? And I- I told you, on the way home from the Earth Kingdom, that their auras…. Bad people can't feel that way. I can feel the love radiating off of them like sunshine, I remember it. And Jet, Jet is good. And what Azula did, the way she took his aura away, that was…"

Ty Lee would not finish that sentence. She had been toeing the line of treason far too closely so far. And Zuko was staring at her closely, the apparent shock of the Avatar being alive worn off.

"A while ago," he finally spoke. "You asked me to tell you about my time in the Earth Kingdom. It… wasn't easy. For some time, I was on my own; my uncle and I had gone our separate ways. I ended up in a poor village. There was a family, they let me work in exchange for a place to stay and a meal. They did not have much at all, but they were kind. Most others would not have offered me as much. They treated me well, until I revealed who I was." He looked down at the floor. "I had no choice. There were thugs in the town, they were harassing the family. I stood up for them, I tried to fight them all without bending, but I couldn't. I used my fire bending to save them, and they turned against me. They hated me the moment they knew I was Fire Nation."

Zuko lifted his head, looking back to Ty Lee, and there was only resolution in his eyes. "The people of the world don't like the Fire Nation. They hate us. We have only spread pain and fear across the world. We are not the heroes in this war."

It was Ty Lee's turn to be shocked. Zuko spoke with greater conviction that she had expected him to, and to say such things, they directly conflicted with everything she had ever been taught.

"Then who are the heroes?" Ty Lee asked.

"You already said it," Zuko pointed out. "The Avatar and his friends."

She swallowed. This was why she had asked for Mai to give them privacy. Not that she did not trust Mai, but to protect her. The direction this conversation had gone, if anyone learned about it…. Ty Lee hated to think of the type of cell she would be thrown into. Was this crime harsh enough to warrant the Boiling Rock?

"What do we do?" Her voice was so quiet, barely more than a whisper; her heart was racing.

Zuko seemed hardly disturbed by their conversation. But then again, maybe he'd spent a lot more time thinking about this than she had, of which side was truly just in this war. "What do you want to do?"

"I want to save Jet. Azula is going to want to- to do that again. I can't let that happen." There was no considering the question. Ty Lee knew the answer, had known _what_ she wanted to accomplish. It was simply the _how_ that was evading her. But it seemed, at least, that coming to Zuko was the right thing to do.

He nodded, and let out a low exhale. "What are you willing to do to accomplish that?"

This time, Ty Lee took a moment, to think about the answer. Going against Azula was an incredibly terrifying thought, and it felt wrong at a very deep level; the loyalty she felt toward her was not gone. But Azula's humanity was dwindling, Ty Lee could feel it. If it was possible to pull Azula back and reign her in, to force her to see the cruelty she had done to Jet, Ty Lee would do that. But it was not possible. She could only save one friend right now, and it was not the princess.

She placed her hands on her knees, straightening her back as she met Zuko's eyes.

"Anything."


	5. These Currents Pull Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jet is part of the seige on the Fire Nation Capital on the Day of Black Sun, and Ty Lee and Zuko make preparations to save Jet and join the Avatar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Accompanying playlist:
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2fYMKVtqxHQtpbXJH53mdl
> 
> I make playlists to keep me inspired for the theme of my fics. This playlist is for the whole of the story, not just this chapter. So if a song seems out of place, we simply haven't reached that point in the fic yet. :)

The day of the invasion had arrived, and Jet had to admit that he was thoroughly impressed at all the manpower the Water Tribe had managed to wrangle up. There were more ships of the Water Tribe, water benders that came from a swamp, Earth Rumble members that Toph apparently knew quite well, and a small army’s worth of earth benders, not to mention everyone who had been on Hakoda’s ship.

The plan was simple, and well thought out. Jet prided himself on being able to point out more than a couple weak points in Sokka’s plans. They had considered every aspect, and it was perfect.

Still, Jet was nervous. Even as he discarded the Fire Nation garb in exchange for his old clothes, in the comfort of the familiarity of his makeshift armor, there was a tension inside of him he had not felt in a long time. This was not unlike what he would feel before launching small attacks with the Freedom Fighters, only much, much bigger.

This was not play fighting in the woods, taking on soldiers that were easy to pick off. This was a real battle, in a real war.

Jet did what he could to ease his nerves. He walked, testing the limits of his leg. The twinges of pain he would get on occasion were nearly gone, but he needed to be certain nothing would happen in the middle of a fight. If his leg failed him, well, he did not want to think about that.

Letting out a low breath, Jet twirled his tiger blades, adjusting his grip. He could do this. He would do this. This was the most important day of his life so far, and he was as prepared as he could ever be.

He only hoped that Ty Lee would be safe during the fighting. It was strange, and perhaps stupid, that he had grown so attached to someone he had only known for a short while and had not seen several weeks. In his defense, Ty Lee was just about the cutest, sweetest person he had ever met in his life. Anyone else in his place would surely feel the same.

Jet scanned the crowd of soldiers and warriors, earth benders and water benders, taking in his comrades as they bustled about, preparing for battle. But there was a stillness in the crowd that caught his eye: Hakoda, standing on the other side of the beach, watching him.

The chief of the Southern Water Tribe had not been as warm to him as when they had first met. Jet was certain that Hakoda still believed him to pose as some sort of danger to his men. But he had not been barred from joining the fight, which he had a sneaking suspicion was due to Sokka or Katara vouching for him.

Jet held Hakoda’s gaze only just long enough to let Hakoda know he knew he was watching.

How foolish of the chief, to believe he could be a larger threat than the actual Fire Nation soldiers.

* * *

This was more terrifying than anything else Ty Lee had ever done. This was scarier than purposefully allowing the Dai Li agents to learn that she was actually Fire Nation, scarier than when she had first left home to join the circus. There had always been a safety net for her. When she left for the circus, she knew she could always return home. When scheming in Ba Sing Se, she had Mai to watch her back and Azula’s cleverness to see them out of any situation.

But now? There was no safety net.

If she and Zuko were caught, they would be tried for treason. Ty Lee still was not completely certain that the Avatar was right and that the Fire Nation was wrong, but she knew, at least, that she had to keep Jet safe from Azula.

They had time. Zuko sounded confident that Jet was not in immediate danger. She had relayed everything Jet had told her and Azula, when he was in the hypnotic state, of the plan to invade the capital and his role in the invasion. Jet was supposed to stay outside of the capital, taking up arms with the Water Tribe warriors, prior to the eclipse. The royal family was to go into hiding during the eclipse, down beneath the city, each in their own separate bunkers. Jet and Azula would be nowhere near each other.

Ty Lee was supposed to go into hiding as well; the whole of the city was ordered to lock themselves indoors, bar their windows. Instead, after the lockdown had begun, Ty Lee snuck into the palace, to find Zuko. Despite being promised that all soldiers and guards would be down with the royal family or at the gates of the city, her heart was pounding as she scaled the walls that surrounded the palace. What if Zuko was wrong? What if there were guards, and she was arrested for trespassing and defying the order of the Fire Lord?

Thankfully, Zuko was not wrong. The palace was all but deserted; it was eerie, how quiet it was, as she made her way to the throne room, where Zuko was waiting for her, swords on his back. His back was to her as he stared at the throne, and she wished she knew what he was thinking; his face revealed nothing when he looked back at her and nodded.

“You’re here,” he said, and took in a deep breath. “Good.”

She nodded in return. “So how are we going to find the Avatar and his friends now?”

“We’ll find them after the eclipse. There’s- there’s a couple of things I have to do first.” Whatever it was he had to do, it weighed heavily on him. Ty Lee could feel the intensity of it pushing off of him. “I have to confront my father, and break out my uncle.”

Her eyes widened. “You want to- to tell the Fire Lord what you’re doing?”

Zuko nodded solemnly. “I want him to know exactly what I am doing,” he explained. “I don’t want him to misunderstand. I need him to know.”

It was a bad idea. Ty Lee desperately wanted to tell Zuko that going to the Fire Lord, explaining that he was running away to help the Avatar, was a horribly stupid idea, but she managed to bite her tongue. This was personal, she could feel it. Her words would have fallen on deaf ears.

“Come on. We need to get going.” Zuko motioned for Ty Lee to walk with him.

With a gulp and a small prayer for courage, Ty Lee followed Zuko.

* * *

Traveling by submarine was official Jet’s least favorite method of transportation. Encased in metal, underwater, unable to see his surroundings from where he stood; he hated every moment of it. Easier still to focus on the plan at hand.

But the relief that ran through him when they finally reached land was intense, even as he knew the most difficult part was still to come. He stood in ranks with Sokka and other Water Tribe warriors, and moved forward with them, but it would not last. It was not part of the plan at all, but Jet knew he was going to have to cut rank, separate from the rest of the warriors. These were men who knew each other, had fought alongside each other for months, probably years. They knew the ebb and flow of how they fought; Jet did not. It would be best to not get in their way.

As they made their way up the stone path, flanked by the earth bending tanks, Jet slowed his pace, letting the other warriors pass him, taking up the rear.

This was going to be bloody.

* * *

The battle was going smoothly, or at least, as smoothly as any battle could go. They had advanced forward at a good pace, and while Sokka, Katara and Hakoda took out towers that were firing missiles, Jet raced ahead, his eyes on Fire Nation soldiers.

In the Freedom Fighters, there had been few chances for the fights to turn bloody. Mostly, they had relied on quick attacks and forcing the Fire Nation soldiers to retreat. Rarely had he been able to make good use of his tiger blades. But not here. Here, he was going to be able to show the Fire Nation just how deadly he was.

The hardest part was avoiding the flames, but he was quick on his feet, alert and ready. Those that he managed to get to were not on their feet long after he reached them. Unlike a normal blade, that was simply sharp and heavy, the hooks of his blades were especially gruesome. With them, he could rip tendons, hook into flesh and tear it away.

And he was damn good at it.

But the Fire Nation soldiers retreated, and despite the adrenaline running through him, Jet knew better than to follow them alone. He was going to spend all his energy now if he was not careful. Better to fall back, let others pursue, and when he was ready, jump in again.

A shadow passed overhead. Shading his eyes from the sun, Jet looked up. It was Aang, coming down to join Sokka. Curious and panting, Jet approached Sokka and Hakoda as Aang landed, wiping sweat from his brow. Before the Avatar spoke, Jet scowled; something had gone wrong.

“They knew,” Sokka realized, and Jet swore.

“Of course they knew,” he said bitterly. “Why wouldn’t the Fire Nation have fucking known?”

Aang only looked defeated. “It’s over. The Fire Lord is probably long gone; far away on a remote island where he’ll be safe during the eclipse.”

“No.” Sokka was shaking his head. “My instincts tell me he wouldn’t go too far. He’d have a secret bunk; somewhere he could go and be safe during the siege, but still close enough to lead his nation.”

Made sense. Toph stepped forward, offering up her abilities to find said bunker, but Sokka looked doubtful. He pulled something from his pocket, a strange device.

“The mechanist gave me this. It looks like we only have ten minutes until the full eclipse.”

“Ten minutes to find the Fire Lord,” Jet added. Sokka nodded solemnly.

“We’ve got to keep going down here,” Sokka continued. “Aang, I can’t help you find the Fire Lord. I’m needed here-”

“I’ll be with him,” Toph spoke up. “We’ll be fine.”

The deep frown on Sokka’s face was not missed by Jet. He knew what he was thinking; Toph and Aang, while both capable fighters, were not the cleverest of people. Sokka’s quick thinking would be a useful tool to find the Fire Lord. But if Sokka was busy….

“I’ll go too.” Jet put his hand out, taking the timing device from Sokka. “We’ll find him.”

Hakoda was the only one who looked doubtful when Jet volunteered, but thankfully held his tongue. There was no time to argue; every second counted at this point.

* * *

Ty Lee stood beside Zuko as he stared at a door. They were down, deep below the palace, in a bunker that certainly had not been built just for this eclipse. It was near labyrinthian, so many winding halls and doors, and Ty Lee was suddenly incredibly nervous that something might happen to Zuko and then she would never get out.

No. She had to trust in him. He was Azula’s brother; cunning and planning must run in their blood.

“Do you want me to go inside with you?” she asked, her voice soft.

Zuko shook his head. “No. The eclipse….” He looked down at his hands, a frown on his face. “My bending has gone.” Looking up, his face was resolute. “But so has his. Your presence might be perceived as a threat.”

He looked at Ty Lee. “Wait out here. If I’m still in there when the eclipse is done, then come in.”

“Will it take that long?”

“Maybe.” Zuko exhaled loudly through his nose. “I have a lot to say.”

It was taking everything in her to stay calm, and she merely nodded in response. Zuko faced the door again, taking in another breath, before opening the door and leaving her alone in the earthen walls of the bunker.

* * *

They had made it, past a river of lava, past geysers that spouted magma, down deep in the volcano, to a set of large doors just in time for the eclipse to start (if the strange device was accurate). Jet gripped his tiger blades, settling into a defensive position as Aang confirmed that he was ready.

Never in his life had Jet imagined personally witnessing the fall of the Fire Lord. He was going to be close enough to personally take out the man who was to blame for every single hardship he had endured. It would be a lie to say he did not hope for the opportunity to take him out himself.

But no. This was not for him to do, he reminded himself. This was Aang’s mission. He was only here to provide support, if needed.

Still, maybe he would get the chance to rough him up a bit.

With a blast of air from Aang, the doors blew down, revealing a large room with a single throne at the other end, and seated upon that throne…was a girl. She was young, no older than Katara, and wearing armor reserved for the Fire Nation royal family.

Jet stared in surprise as Aang let out a gasp. “You!”

They had met. Not a good sign. Jet glanced quickly from the girl- no, the princess, this had to be Princess Azula, who had nearly killed Aang in Ba Sing Se- to Aang, waiting to follow his lead, but not wanting to give the princess an inch to make a move.

“What, were you hoping to find someone else?” Azula smiled coyly, mockingly. She hadn’t shifted a bit, legs still crossed, cheek resting on her knuckles; if she felt herself in any danger at all, she did not show it. “Sorry, my father’s not available right now. You’ll have to settle for me.”

Aang stepped further into the room, glider pointed at Azula. “Where is the Fire Lord?”

Jet and Toph followed suit, entering the room, flanking Aang on either side as the princess stood. She was powerless right now, he reminded himself. She had no bending. It would be stupid for her not to give up the information.

“Stick to the truth,” Toph added. “I’ll know if you’re lying.”

“Really?” Azula seemed merely amused. “I’m a good liar-” She stopped, her eyes resting on Jet, and something about her gaze chilled him to the bone. Her lips curled up into a terrible smile. “Oh, hello Jet. I was wondering how soon we’d cross paths.”

“What?” The word escaped his lips before he even realized he had spoken, and without meaning to, he had dropped his stance slightly. Aang was looking at him, flabbergasted. “How do you know-”

“Who you are?” Azula smirked at him. “Ty Lee told me all about you.” At the sudden shock on his face, she put on a mock expression of confusion. “Oh, she never told you that we’re friends? When she came back to the capital, she was so excited to tell me all about you.”

Toph let out a frustrated growl. “What did you tell her, Jet?!”

“Nothing!” Jet cried out, looking from Toph and Aang to Azula. “I told her nothing!”

“He’s telling the truth, you know,” the princess interrupted. “Ty Lee refused to believe you could possibly be anyone but who you had said you were. Came pretty close to breaking her heart when I showed her proof; I’ve never seen her cry like that in my life.” The amusement in Azula’s eyes did not match the sympathetic tone she had taken on.

“Stop it! How you know about Jet doesn’t matter!” Aang had taken another step forward, and thank the spirits he had, for Jet’s mind was a whirlwind. “Tell me where the Fire Lord is!”

With a quick motion, Toph had Azula encased in earth, and the princess did not even _flinch_. If Jet’s mind was not trying to dissect _how_ she had known who he was, how she had proven it to Ty Lee, he would have been impressed.

Azula let out a chuckle. “Oh, I think it does matter. I think you’ll be _very_ interested to learn how I know Jet.”

Suddenly, the rock that surrounded Azula cracked and crumbled, releasing her from her short imprisonment.

“I picked up some souvenirs in Ba Sing Se,” Azula continued as two Dai Li agents dropped down behind her. Jet’s heartrate picked up, his eyes wide, staring at the uniformed men. They did not move, waiting for instruction from the princess. “Fascinating group. Ruthless, cut-throat…. But even more intriguing is the way they just… _control_ some.”

Jet took a step back, shaking his head. No. This could not be happening. He barely heard Toph scream at him to run over the pounding rush of his blood pumping through his veins. He saw Aang leap forward, brandishing his glider as a weapon at the princess, who did not move, protected by the Dai Li agents. He saw her grin again, her lips move, and then those terrible words reached his ears:

_“The Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai.”_

* * *

Ty Lee waited as patiently as she could. It was difficult to keep track of time deep beneath the earth where she could not see the sun. She was tempted to meditate, not just to pass the time but to calm her nerves as well but knew it to be a poor choice. Meditating would lower her defenses and now, more than ever, she needed to keep her wits about her.

So Ty Lee paced, back and forth in front of the door. At one point, she tried to listen in, but the voices she did hear were so muffled it was pointless. There were no sounds of a fight, at least. She took some comfort in that.

But it was taking so long, and how long was an eclipse supposed to last anyway? Not awfully long, she would wager. A few minutes, maybe? Zuko had been inside the room for what felt like more than enough time to the moon to fully pass in front of the sun.

Ty Lee approached the door. Her hands were shaking; she hated it. If Azula were to see such a clear sign of fear, she would ridicule her incessantly. There was no time to be afraid. She had to be strong, brave. She could do this. Taking in a deep breath, Ty Lee slowly pushed the door open and nearly screamed at the sight before her.

On the far side of the room, Fire Lord Ozai was seated, arm stretched out, lighting rocketing from his fingertips, directly at Zuko. But Zuko had an arm out, just as his father hand, and though the lightning hit him, it seemed to flow through him, surround him, and suddenly, as if he released it, the lightning was shot back at the Fire Lord. The force of the blast, and perhaps the surprise of the move, sent Ozai flying backwards, slamming him into the wall. She hardly noticed Zuko running towards her until he was right in front of her, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her back out into the hall where they ran back the way they had come.

* * *

Something had gone wrong, terribly wrong.

The moment Sokka had looked up and seen the war balloons rise into the air, he knew: this was a battle they might not win. The Fire Nation was more prepared than he would have ever imagined, they had not gained as much land as they had wanted to before the end of the eclipse. The only hope they had was if Aang had managed to take out the Fire Lord.

Katara, of course, was hopeful. Someone had to be. And she delighted in seeing Appa in the sky, flying back to them, but Sokka had a sinking feeling in his stomach. For Aang to have taken out Ozai and gotten out, coming back to them…. Not enough time had passed for all that. Something else had happened; maybe Sokka had been wrong about the underground bunker, maybe it did not exist.

But, as Appa came nearer, it was clear the truth was much worse than that. Before the sky bison had even landed, Sokka was greeted by the sound of Toph’s screams of pain.

He paled, frozen, as Katara ran to Appa. Aang was calling for her, that something had gone wrong, that it had been a trap, that Toph was hurt. And when Aang helped Toph from the saddle, the entire left side of her torso was covered in blood.

His stomach churned. He found the will to move, racing over to Toph, nearly tripping over himself to reach her. Katara had her laid down, kneeling by her side, already using water to heal her. Sokka gripped Toph’s hand; it was red with her blood, and she was still screaming, tears flowing freely, and Sokka had never been more scared in his life.

“What happened?” Katara was demanding of Aang. Her hands were hovering over Toph’s side. Her clothes were torn, ripped cleanly, certainly from a blade, but the gash that cut through her skin, raking across her stomach and under her ribs, this was not from a sword. Her skin had not been merely cut, but ripped, torn open.

She was losing a lot of blood.

“We- it was Azula,” Aang stammered out. “She was waiting for us, and she- Jet-”

Where was Jet?

“She used Jet, somehow she knew, she knew what to say to make him- It was just like at Lake Laogai.” Aang was looking down at Toph, whose screams had quieted finally, down to soft whimpers and sobs, but Sokka could not be certain if he was even seeing her, his eyes were so unfocused. “Jet did this to her. I- I had to get her out of there. I couldn’t….”

The kid was in shock. Sokka could not blame him. But a loud crash brought them back to where they were- on a battlefield, with the enemy advancing toward them through the air. From the warships, bombs were being launched down at the Water Tribe, the earth benders, all the men and woman who had joined their fight.

Sokka’s eyes widened as he realized one such bomb had been launched directly at them. “Aang!” he cried, and thankfully, Aang snapped out of it just in time to bend a protective layer of rock over all of them. The rock ceiling shook, debris falling from it as the bomb hit, but for the most part they were protected.

For now.

The tide had turned. Sokka could see that plainly now. And even more ominous, the warships continued forward, past them, down toward the beach, and Sokka swore, realizing what they were doing. Their ships were destroyed before Sokka could even stand again.

Everything had gone sour so swiftly, and the only means for retreat were taken away. He looked around, at the men still fighting, at Katara still healing Toph, at Toph- and he felt so sick looking down at her. If she were to be taken prisoner, the likelihood of surviving her injuries would plummet.

They had to run. They had Appa. But a glance at Hakoda only made Sokka feel worse. Not everyone would be able to flee on Appa’s back. His father nodded to him, a sympathetic look. He knew the decision that had to be made.

“We have to go,” Sokka spoke, more authority in his voice than he even recognized. “We have to leave, now.”

“What- but I still have to find the Fire Lord!” Aang cried. “The battle isn’t over-”

“It _is_ over.” Sokka gestured out to the losing fight that was happening around them. “We aren’t going to win this one. There will be another battle, another day, that we will win, but not this one. We are outnumbered, we are cornered. We have- we have to get who we can on Appa, and leave.”

“The youngest,” Hakoda clarified. “Take the youngest, the smallest; you’ll get the greatest numbers out of here that way.”

Aang was shaking his head. “No. No, I can’t just give up.”

“This isn’t giving up,” Sokka argued. “This is strategic!”

“Aang.” It was Katara who spoke. “Aang, we need to get Toph out of here. Please. Let’s go.”

Aang’s shoulders dropped, and he shut his eyes, grimacing. Sokka could sympathize. But now was not the time to be a hero. That time would come later. At last, Aang nodded.

They would flee, and live to fight another day.

* * *

Ty Lee had imagined their escape from the Capital City to go much differently, much more smoothly. She had not expected so much running. Zuko had taken her to the prison his uncle was held at, only to discover he had broken free somehow during the eclipse. That, somehow, affected the prince much more deeply than his father’s assassination attempt. His aura had grown dark upon finding the cell empty.

From there, it was a mad dash across the city to the docks of the airships. The giant war balloons were in flight before they reached it, and Ty Lee had to wonder if Zuko meant for them to commandeer one of them. Surely he didn’t expect her to know how to man such an aircraft, and while she did not know much about how one ran, she knew that it would take more than just Zuko to keep it running.

They were stalled by guards, and though Ty Lee hated to use her talents against her own countrymen, she made quick work of her chi blocking skills to disarm them. After the first wave of guards, Zuko had only stared at her in shock, and it was not until later that she realized he had never seen her chi block before.

Hopefully he never would again. It was a useful skill, she knew this. But she did not enjoy fighting.

It was a smaller balloon they stole, one only just big enough for the two of them. As they rose up, over the volcano the capital city resided in, in the distance, Ty Lee caught sight of the Avatar’s sky bison flying north. Below, the siege on the city was still happening, though it was more than obvious who the victor of this battle was.

“He’s gone,” she moaned to Zuko, who was feeding the flames that kept them aloft. “Can we catch up to him in this?”

“The sky bison is probably faster than we are,” Zuko frowned, staring out over the horizon at the direction the Avatar was fleeing in. “But I have a good idea where he is headed.”

“You do?”

Zuko nodded solemnly. “The Western Air Temple. It isn’t far. And, if he’s running, things probably…went badly for him.”

Ty Lee set her eyes on the bison as well. It was too far to see who was possibly riding on it. “Do you think he’s running alone? What if- what if Jet isn’t with him? What if-”

“No,” Zuko cut her off. “No. He’s loyal to a fault. He wouldn’t leave his friends behind. Jet’s with him; they all are.”

She let out a sigh of relief, relaxing against the rail. “Good. That’s good.”

Silence settled in between them. Zuko, thankfully, either already knew how to fly one of these balloons, or was incredibly quick to figuring it out. He kept them on course, as Ty Lee kept watch on the bison. Strangely enough, they did not ever lose sight of the Avatar. If anything, they seemed to be getting closer.

Still, it would not do to be noticed, not like this, right after such a battle, and Zuko took the ship higher, to hide in the clouds.

Hours passed. Ty Lee meditated. Zuko kept them on course. Neither spoke a word until, as Zuko took the balloon lower, he announced, “We’re here.”

She peeked over the side of the basket, and frowned. They were descending onto cliffs overlooking a gorge. There were no temples in sight, no sign of anything or anyone to be exact.

“Um, where is it?”

“You’ll see.” There was the faintest of smiles of Zuko’s face.

He landed the ship near a conveniently placed rock formation that hid it from sight. As Zuko grabbed rope from the supplies they had found in the balloon, Ty Lee stepped out, onto the soft grass on the cliffs, looking around. It was quiet here, very serene. While she still wasn’t certain where the temple was (for even looking down into the gorge, she saw not even a hint of it), she could understand why the Air Nomads had chosen this spot. This would be an excellent place for mediation and quiet contemplation.

“Okay,” Zuko said, interrupting her thoughts. “You ready?”

He had tied the rope to one of the rocks, walking the length of it to the edge of the cliffs.

“I’ll go first.” He stood at the cliff’s edge, wrapping some of it around his arm, facing her. “There’s a little bit of repelling, and then you’re going to have to make a jump. You aren’t scared of heights, are you?”

Ty Lee shook her head. No, heights never bothered her. But this near leap into the void? That was alarming. She watched as Zuko carefully eased himself over the edge of the cliff, walking himself down as far as he could until the cliff wall gave way. Then, he climbed down a little before he began swinging himself back and forth, gaining a little momentum and then he let go, disappearing under where Ty Lee stood.

Her breath hitched; had he landed somewhere? Thankfully, Zuko seemed to anticipate her need for assurance that he had, in fact, not died, as his voice carried up to her, “Okay, your turn!”

This was the easy now, knowing that there was a safety below. Ty Lee had never repelled before, but the motions were not exactly foreign to her. It was when the cliff wall gave way that she was taken by surprise. Built into the rock wall, stretching the whole length of the cliff itself, was the temple. Giant statues of air nomads were carved into the rock wall, and the buildings themselves to be growing right out of the rock, as roots of trees would.

It was incredible.

Zuko was standing on a platform below, waiting for her. Just as he had, Ty Lee kicked her legs forward, swinging back and forth, before letting go, vaulting herself forward. She flipped once and landed daintily on her feet.

Zuko, surprisingly, looked unamused by the stunt. “Are you showing off?” he asked, though there was no malice in his voice.

“No. Just…keeping up with it,” Ty Lee responded with a shrug. “I don’t want to get rusty-”

“Shh!” Zuko suddenly grabbed her by the arm, pulling her back behind a wall with him, before peering out from behind it. Curious, she did as he did, and her eyes widened. The sky bison was flying down into the gorge, looking to land.

Zuko once again tugged at her arm, urging her to move away, but Ty Lee resisted. “We’re trying to talk to them,” she protested. “Shouldn’t we go meet them?”

“No, that’s…that’s a bad idea,” Zuko shook his head. “Our presence will probably spook them. Let’s go, figure out what we’re going to say, and come back later. C’mon.”

Ty Lee felt that was a dumb idea (they were r _ight there_ and she desperately wanted to see Jet again, and leaving now would only prolong her reunion with him), but Zuko was calling the shots. With a sigh, she followed the prince down a hallway and out of sight of the Avatar.

* * *

It was of little comfort that they reached the Western Air Temple. The mood among the whole group was dour. Even the Duke, who did not seem to be able to be anything but determined, was sullen.

Toph had slipped out of consciousness not long into the flight, causing Sokka to nearly have a heart attack, believing she had died for a moment before Katara assured him that she was very much alive. He had stayed at Toph’s side the entire flight, his hand holding hers. She was too young to die.

This could have been avoided. In so many different ways, Sokka could have kept this from happening.

If he had just gone with her and Aang to find the Fire Lord, instead of staying behind to make his dad proud, Jet would have never fallen into the Fire princess’s clutches. If only he had listened to his father when Jet had wanted to leave the ship with them, and all but formally adopting Jet into their tighter circle, then maybe Jet wouldn’t have felt so confident in offering his help. If he had trusted his father’s instincts, on the shore of Chameleon Bay, that the brainwashing Jet had incurred was something to be alarmed by, Jet would never have joined their ranks.

When they landed, Haru helped Sokka move Toph. Katara had made a makeshift bed for the earth bender, which Sokka planted himself right next to. He was certain that Katara would make a disapproving remark to his hovering, but perhaps the severity of the situation forced her to bite her tongue.

Aang stood a few feet away. Sokka could feel the awkwardness in his stance, the uncertainty of what to do, and for once, he did not have any sort of advice to offer.

At least Haru had ushered Teo and the Duke away, giving them privacy.

Aang broke the silence first. “Will she be okay?” He sounded scared. They all were.

Katara bit her lip. She was still examining the wound, healing what she could. “I think so,” she finally settled on saying. “It doesn’t seem like any of her organs were hit, but she’s lost a lot of blood.”

 _No kidding_ , Sokka thought bitterly. They were all wearing it; on Aang’s clothes, on his and Katara’s hands and arms, all were stained red, sticky from it all. As soon as he knew she would wake up again, Sokka would clean himself up, but not a moment before that.

“What happened?” The question left his lips before he could reel it back in. Aang had already given an explanation, but it had been rushed, panicked.

Aang’s shoulders sagged, and he sank down to a crouching position, hugging his knees. “Azula was waiting for us,” he answered. “And she… It was almost like she expected Jet. Not that she’d see him then, but at some point. She knew who he was, she knew that he’d been brainwashed.” He let out a heavy sigh. “She had the Dai Li with her. And she…. She said the same thing Long Feng had said to make Jet not be himself.”

“I don’t understand.” Katara had turned to look at Aang, her focus momentarily torn from Toph’s injuries. “How could she have known about Jet? Did the Dai Li tell her?”

“I guess,” Aang frowned, and then his brow wrinkled deeper. “No…. She mentioned Ty Lee. The girl Jet met when Sokka was training with Piandao. But it didn’t sound like she had told her about _that_.”

By the _spirits_ , could their luck get any worse? How on earth had Jet managed to choose someone who was close to the Fire Nation princess to open up to? Sokka groaned, rubbing his eyes with his clean hand. “And what happened to Jet?”

Aang looked positively depressed. “I had to leave him behind. He was still under the princess’s control when I got Toph out of there.”

Sokka tried not to think about Jet still with Azula, still under her control, a weapon for her to use as she pleased.

All three of them jumped when a sudden groan came from Toph. Sokka looked down quickly as the earth bender shifted slightly, letting out a somewhat louder moan in pain before her eyes fluttered open.

“Toph!” Katara cried, and Sokka should not have been surprised to see actual tears forming in his sister’s eyes. “Toph, how are you feeling?”

“Not half as bad as you all look,” she grunted, and after a moment, Sokka snorted at the response. A joke. Toph had her stomach ripped open and nearly died, and the first thing she did when coming back around was make a blind joke.

Soon, Sokka was fighting to hold back laughter, but failing, and fell backwards, letting his guffaws roll out.

She was going to be just fine.

* * *

Zuko had led Ty Lee to a small path of woods connected to the temple, and despite the circumstances, Ty Lee was absolutely delighted at how there was nature so close by. It was there that they made camp, settling in around a small fire Zuko had made.

“Do you think they’ll be welcoming?” Ty Lee asked, hopeful.

Zuko, however, scoffed at the question. “I don’t know how they could be. I’ve only ever hunted the Avatar and his friends. You did the same.”

“But Jet will know us!”

That did not seem to provide Zuko any sort of encouragement. “Jet might like you, but he and I…. We did not part on good terms. Last time I saw him, he was being arrested by the Dai Li, remember?”

“Oh.” She had forgotten. With a frown, Ty Lee hugged her knees to her chest, resting her chin upon her knees. “So how do we let them know that we are on their side?”

“I don’t know,” Zuko admitted.

“You don’t know?” How could Zuko have gone forward with this plan if he hadn’t figured this part, the most crucial part out?

“Is that surprising?”

“I mean, yeah. Azula plans everything; she always has a back up plan for a back up plan,” Ty Lee pointed out. “I thought you would do the same.”

Zuko sent a scowl her way. “I’m not my sister.”

“I know that. I just thought, you know, since you are siblings, you might think at least a little bit alike.”

“You thought wrong.”

Ty Lee heaved a sigh. Okay. How could they do this? “What if… Do you think it would just be best to simply…show up and say hi?”

“Do you think that’ll work?” Zuko actually sounded a little hopeful.

“It might? It’s what always has worked for me when making new friends, and at least Jet will know I’m nice, so we could probably go from there,” Ty Lee said. “Jet will trust me, he already does. I bet he can keep the rest of them from attacking us on sight.”

“…I sure hope so,” Zuko responded, his tone doubtful.

But what other plan did they have?


	6. Arms to Shoulder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ty Lee and Zuko try to make friends with Team Avatar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Accompanying playlist:
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2fYMKVtqxHQtpbXJH53mdl
> 
> I make playlists to keep me inspired for the theme of my fics. This playlist is for the whole of the story, not just this chapter. So if a song seems out of place, we simply haven't reached that point in the fic yet. :)

Together, Ty Lee and Zuko returned to the air temple. It was mid-morning, the day after the Avatar and his group had arrived. Zuko was quiet, and while that was not unusual, she could tell that he was nervous; and she was too. At least they were not going alone to extend a peaceful hand to the Avatar and his friends. Even knowing Jet would be there did not make it any less nerve-wracking. What if Jet was not the first to see them? What if they attacked first? Would it even be a good idea to defend themselves if an attack did come? Such an act could be interpreted as aggression, which they were really trying to avoid.

She had to keep hoping that Jet would find them first.

Their footsteps were light on the stone floor, Zuko leading the way, and they heard the Avatar and his friends before they saw them. Their voices carried out the empty stone halls; they were arguing, apparently over their next course of action. One wanted to try to return to save those that had been left behind, another felt it was better for the Avatar to find a fire bending teacher. Ty Lee put a hand on the prince's shoulder; when he looked back, she offered and encouraging smile. Zuko could easily fit that role. Though, from what she had been told, Zuko had never been exceptionally talented at fire bending, but that information had come from Azula, who an absolute prodigy. She probably thought everyone else was sub-par by comparison.

Zuko nodded, and jerked his head forward, motioning for her to continue walking.

"Okay," he said quietly, as they reached the doorway the voices were coming from. "We are coming as friends. We can't do anything to make them nervous."

It was unclear if he was saying that as a reminder to her, or himself, but Ty Lee flashed him another smile, and prepared herself for what would hopefully be a rather nice reunion with Jet. Maybe, just maybe, she would get another kiss.

Zuko took in another breath, straightened his shoulders, and stepped forward into the doorway where he would clearly be seen. Without missing a beat, Ty Lee was right at his side.

"Uh, hi," Zuko said, raising a hand in greeting, and uttered the most painfully awkward introduction Ty Lee had ever heard. "Zuko here."

Ty Lee scanned the room. There were the Water Tribe siblings, sitting with the Avatar, and nearby was the earth bender, though she was laying down. The Avatar and the siblings wore matching expressions of shock and were on their feet rather quickly; the earth bender had remained on the ground, but had propped herself up. The motion looked painful, and it was when the Water Tribe boy stepped in front of her with his boomerang in hand that confirmed it: she was injured. Even though Ty Lee had tried to prepare herself for them to be defensive, it still was unsettling how they all immediately took up attack positions.

Ty Lee had to remind herself not to step into a defensive position. Zuko had managed to remain still, certainly fighting every instinct inside him. She could do the same.

But, as she waited for Zuko to speak, or for the Avatar to speak, or for someone to attack, she looked over the room again, hoping she had only originally missed him. No. Jet was not there.

Where was he?

"I'm not here to fight," Zuko said loudly, forcibly keeping his tone calm. He raised both hands, palms out, as if to show that he was unarmed. "I'm- we-" And he looked to Ty Lee. "- we are here to help you."

The water bender's eyes narrowed at Zuko, her hand hovering over an opened canteen. "What kind of trick is this?"

"No trick," Zuko promised, and Ty Lee wanted to jump in and explain everything, but she bit her tongue. Zuko had more experience with this group, he would know the best way to placate them.

"I really am here to help. You need to learn fire bending," he addressed the Avatar. "And I think I'm supposed to train you."

Though the Avatar's eyes had widened at that statement, he did not adjust his hold on his glider, holding it in front of him as a weapon. He glanced at Ty Lee, and she did what she always did when trying to make a friend: she offered up a smile and a small wave.

"Are we just supposed to believe that?" It was the boy from the Water Tribe that spoke, his eyes narrowed. "Why bring _her_ if you're just here to train Aang?"

Zuko glanced at her, and Ty Lee nodded; it was better if he answered. He had been the one the question was addressed to anyway. "Oh. Well, Ty Lee, she-"

"What?!" The shriek came from the earthbender. " _She_ is Ty Lee?!"

In her chest, her heart skipped a beat. Had Jet talked about her? That was absolutely heart-warming. Her joy, however, was short lived, for suddenly three pairs of eyes were glaring at her and she became very much aware that the tension in the room had spiked.

"This is _your_ fault!" The boy from the Water Tribe had pointed his boomerang at her. He had not moved out of the way of the earthbender; if anything, he seemed more protective of her, shifting his weight.

She looked quickly to Zuko, and then back again at the room. Judging from Zuko's confused expression, he was just as lost as she was. "What is my fault?"

Instead of replying, the Water Tribe boy threw his boomerang at her, and Ty Lee sprang back, flipping backward into the hall. By the time she landed, Zuko was also backing out of the room, still trying to reason with them. A gust of wind followed by a water whip had Zuko leaping out of the way- but in the opposite direction of Ty Lee.

The Avatar and the Water Tribe siblings came running out of the room. The girl and the Avatar turned their focus on Zuko, and the boy with the boomerang advanced toward her.

"I don't want to fight you!" Ty Lee tried to reason with him. She couldn't fight back; they would never understand that they had not come as enemies if she had to fight them.

He threw the boomerang again, and again, Ty Lee dodged with a series of flips, taking herself further away from, and further from Zuko. "Like I'm going to believe that!" the boy snapped at her. His aura was a bright, violent red.

"Just let me talk to Jet!" Ty Lee pleaded with him, keeping a watchful eye as he caught his boomerang. "Where is he?"

The boy with the boomerang scoffed. "As if you don't know!"

That was not the response Ty Lee was expecting. Her guard dropped, her brow furrowed, and she said earnestly, "What- I don't know where he is! I'm trying to find him!"

The Water Tribe boy had raised his arm, ready to let his weapon fly again, but stopped, staring at her hard. "You really don't know?"

She shook her head, relieved to see him drop his arm slightly, no longer so at the ready to attack. "I came because- because he's in danger. Azula is going to do something-" She swallowed, not wanting to reveal more than this boy might know, because maybe, if Jet hadn't told her about the brainwashing, he hadn't told him either. "I think she's going to do something to him. I need to warn him. Please, where is he?"

The boy looked at her, a strange expression of disbelief on his face, before groaning, "Oh, _spirits_." He rubbed his face, and fully lowered the arm that was holding the boomerang.

"I know- I know it must seem hard to believe," Ty Lee continued. "I know I attacked you in the past, and I'm really sorry about that but, well, I really like Jet, and I'm so scared for him and-"

"He's not here. He's… He's with Azula."

Ty Lee froze. No, no that could not be right. Everything in her told her to reject what this boy was saying, because she had just risked _everything_ she had to find Jet and warn him, and there was no way this could be in vain.

Distantly, she heard the boy swear under his breath, heard him yell out two names (Aang must be the Avatar, and Katara the waterbender). There was the commotion of whatever fighting was going on between them and Zuko, but the only thing she could think of was Jet.

Jet was with Azula. She had been too late, too slow, and somehow, Azula had gotten him, and all she could picture was how he had looked the last time she had seen him, standing stiffly, eyes vacant, no aura-

"Zuko!" she suddenly cried out, and not surprisingly, there were already tears on her cheeks. She blinked the tears from her eyes, trying to pinpoint him; he was down the hall, the Avatar and the waterbender still between her and him, but with the boomerang boy with them now. All eyes were on her. "Zuko, we have to go back!"

She took a step toward the Fire Nation prince, but the waterbender- Katara- had bent a water whip, lashing it toward her, to keep her where she stood.

"Katara, stop, I don't think-" the boy with the boomerang was saying, but Ty Lee cut him off.

"Zuko, Jet isn't here. He's- he's with _her_!"

There was confusion on Zuko's face for only a moment, and then it faded away, replaced with only an apologetic expression. "We can't," he called back to her, and it was the most terrible thing he could say. "Not after how we left, we can't."

Her breath caught. _No._ "No! You didn't see him, Zuko, you didn't see…." Didn't see him so hollow, so terribly void of everything that had made him so special. "I can't leave him with her!"

"Wait." It was the Avatar- Aang- that spoke. He still held his glider, but lower, not so quick to attack. Right now, it was only the waterbender that seemed still ready to lash out. "You're really here…for Jet?"

"She is." Zuko was trying to cut in, to do all of the talking, maybe because he could see how worked up Ty Lee was getting, or maybe because he doubted that she could explain herself well. "But, Ty Lee, we can't go back. You know that."

She pressed her hands to her cheeks, shaking her head. "You don't understand-"

"I _do_ ," he insisted. "But after how we left…. We can't. We can't go back."

Her lower lip quivered as more tears threatened to spill out; she knew he was telling the truth, and Ty Lee hated that. She sucked in a breath, not wanting to let out a sob now; her cheeks felt so hot.

"You knew Jet was brainwashed." It was the Water Tribe boy this time.

Ty Lee nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"Azula knew too."

Again, she nodded, and pressed her palms over her eyes, because she was so close to breaking down more than she already was. If she was at home, she would allow herself this moment to sob openly, but right now, she was surrounded by people she hardly knew, and the closest person to a friend was on the other side of the hall. It was not the time to lose control of herself, however close she was to doing so.

Ty Lee jumped when a hand touched her shoulder. Pulling her hands away, it was a surprise to see, of all people, the Avatar standing in front of her, looking up at her with sympathy and compassion. He was so young, just a child; had she ever realized this before?

"You really care about Jet, don't you?" he asked.

Slowly, Ty Lee bobbed her head up and down in a nod. "I do, I really do. He's just so…. I've never met anyone like him before."

Aang gave her a small but determined smile. "We're going to get him back."

He really seemed to believe it, and somehow, when he said it, Ty Lee believed it to. She smiled a little through her tears, then flung her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. Aang stiffened a little in surprise, then wrapped his arms around her, returning the hug.

Apparently, that was all that was needed to calm the tension between the group. Introductions were made, and though Katara still eyed Zuko suspiciously, she was no longer had any water out to attack with. Ty Lee really appreciated that. There were others who had fled the battle with them, all teens and children. It was a little shocking how the others were running about and playing, having fun. The atmosphere in this group was so much more relaxed than Ty Lee had ever thought possible.

They were seated in the room that Toph, the earthbender, was resting in. Whatever injuries the girl had were bad; she was unable to prop herself up on her elbows for long but had used her earthbending to create a rock to lean against.

"I really am s _o_ sorry for fighting you guys in the Earth Kingdom," Ty Lee spoke, looking around the room at them. "If it had been up to me, I definitely wouldn't have!"

Katara scoffed. "As if you didn't have a choice."

Ty Lee reminded herself that, after so many run ins with her, it would be hard to quickly forgive. "I didn't, not really."

"Of course you did," Katara spat back, earning a couple of disapproving looks from her brother and Aang. "Sokka and I didn't have to join Aang, but we knew it was the right thing to do. You had a choice to fight against us, and you made the wrong one."

Ty Lee chewed on her bottom lip, inhaling deeply, before trying to explain. "You don't say 'no' to Azula."

"And besides," Zuko cut in before Katara could argue more, which was greatly appreciated; Ty Lee was not looking for any sort of verbal disagreement so soon after being welcomed into their ranks. "We made the right decision now. We're here, not with them anymore."

"So…what is it that made you guys change your minds?" It was Sokka who spoke. The curiosity in his voice was apparent; it was strange, how he seemed so much quicker to forgive than his sister. "I mean, something must have happened to make you realize the Fire Nation is evil."

Zuko and Ty Lee exchanged a look, and it was Ty Lee who answered. "I mean, I _don't_ think the Fire Nation is evil."

"Of course you wouldn't," Katara said bitterly.

"It's a complicated question," Zuko spoke quickly. "It's going to have a complicated answer." He sighed. "My father is evil. My sister, too-"

Ty Lee frowned.

"-but the people of the Fire Nation are not. They're misguided."

Aang was nodding his head in agreement. "Yeah, when I was in that school, they were teaching things that didn't happen, or happened differently."

"Propaganda," Toph supplied the word for it. "Didn't you have to recite some weird Fire Nation chant at the beginning of class?"

Zuko looked about as confused as Ty Lee felt, and asked the same questions that were in her head. "Wait, you were in a Fire Nation school? Why?"

"Getting to know the locals," Aang responded casually with a shrug.

"Okay, but that doesn't explain why you guys turned against your country," Sokka spoke up, bringing the conversation back on topic. "And why now?"

"I learned…some things, about my family," Zuko said carefully. Ty Lee looked at him questioningly; he had not explained anything to her about that. "And then Ty Lee came to me looking for help, and it sort of grew from there."

"I met Jet, though…." Ty Lee thought for a moment. "I think it really started with you four."

"Really?" Both Sokka and Aang had said the word in unison, then looked quickly to each other as if about to say something else, but somehow resisted the urge and allowed her the chance to explain.

She nodded emphatically. "You have this…warm family aura, it surrounds all of you, and it's so inviting. It's like….like your auras are all always hugging each other." Ty Lee smiled at the thought. "I was certain you all would be evil, because, well, that's what I was led to believe, but that no one evil could have that loving and trusting of an aura, e _specially_ not as an entire group."

Sokka was staring at her as if she were insane, and Toph's expression matched his rather well, though she wasn't exactly looking at her. Katara merely seemed confused, but Aang, he seemed absolutely enthralled by this topic.

"You can see auras? That's amazing!" he cried. "What color is mine?"

"Mmm…. Blue! It's bright blue, like the sky on a sunny day."

He grinned. "Neat!"

Zuko sighed and grumbled something about encouraging her. That was fine. Not everyone needed to understand or believe in auras. It was nice enough that someone appreciated it, though.

* * *

By midday, everyone had gone their separate ways within the air temple. Katara kicked everyone out of the room to examine Toph's wound and redress it. As she was walking out, Ty Lee remembered what Jet had explained to Azula, that Katara had healed the Avatar, using her waterbending, as they had fled Ba Sing Se, and almost asked if she could stay to watch. The thought of waterbending being used to heal was absolutely fascinating. But sense got the better of her, and she followed Zuko out into the large open space they had first entered the day before.

Sokka had pulled Aang aside as well, leaving her and Zuko alone. He was quiet; that wasn't unusual. The situation they were in, however, was.

She walked up to him, hands behind her back, and followed his gaze out over the gorge. "…Do you think that we'll be able to save Jet soon?"

Zuko exhaled. "I don't know. I…. I didn't expect Jet not to be here." He faced her. "I am sorry. I know you're scared for him."

His answer was not what Ty Lee had wanted to hear. A promise that yes, they would leave within the day, that the whole of the group here would launch a mission to rescue him right away. But that was not going to happen. Ty Lee knew it. With the earthbender so hurt, they were not going to go anywhere soon.

Her upset must have been easily read, for Zuko added, "We will get him, Ty Lee. When we can."

She nodded. "I know. I just…." Ty Lee sank down so that she was crouching, and hugged her knees. "It feels like I turned my back on our country for nothing. I was doing this to save him, and…I haven't."

"You will."

"But what will I do until then?" Zuko was going to train the Avatar; he had a task set out for him. But Ty Lee was only tagging along for the ride at this point. She had nothing to contribute to the group, nor did she really want to fight. That was the whole point of setting out when they had; to be able to pull Jet away from the battles and the fighting so that she would not have to join them.

"Make friends?"

Maybe Zuko meant it as a joke. It did make her smile, though. Even though tensions hadn't fully quieted down within the group due to her and Zuko's presence, she could still see it, how they were so comfortable with each other. It would be nice to have that.

However, Zuko then scoffed at when he had said. "They don't trust us though. Not that I blame them."

"I think they'll warm up," Ty Lee responded, looking up at Zuko. "They just need time. And space."

So it was probably not a good idea to hover around them. Better to stay in an open, communal area as much as possible, and allow the others to approach them. That would be hard. Ty Lee _loved_ to talk to anyone and everyone.

There was not much to do about that, though. And so, with Zuko standing beside her, she remained where she was, and hoped that everyone would welcome her as a friend soon.

* * *

The afternoon passed strangely. Together with Zuko, they gathered the few supplies they had from where they had made camp. Sokka showed them to rooms they could take to sleep in, but Ty Lee had a suspicion that this was just out of a strange attempt to be hospitable. Everyone else seemed to have set up their bedrolls in the same area, which was really sweet. She hoped that soon it would be fine to sleep out there with everyone else.

Meeting the sky bison was interesting. Ty Lee had, of course, been close to the large beast on only a handful of occasions, and it seemed Appa- as it was called- remembered her. She shrank back when Appa growled at her; he was certainly much larger than she remembered. Even more shocking was that Appa was f _riendly_ with Zuko, even going so far as to lick the prince from head to toe.

Zuko did not exactly appear pleased to be covered in sky bison slobber, but he did reach out and pat the beast's nose.

"Why is he so much nicer to you?" Ty Lee called from across the platform. She couldn't help but to take it a little personally; how was she ever going to be fully accepted as a friend if the Avatar's sky bison hated her?

"I rescued him in Ba Sing Se," Zuko said simply, as if that was enough of an explanation.

Apparently, she was not the only one who wanted to hear more.

"Really?" It was Aang's voice that came from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder as Aang came walking up, looking at Zuko curiously. "You did? How? Where was he?"

Excellent, valid questions.

Zuko turned his attention from Appa to Aang. "I saw a flier for Appa. After a…brush with the Dai Li, I figured if anyone knew where Appa was, it would be them. I…convinced a member of the Dai Li to tell me where you bison was. So I broke into Lake Laogai, and set him free." He glanced to Appa. "I wasn't originally going to free him. I thought I'd use him to find you, or something. It was a stupid plan."

Aang only smiled. "I guess it was, but… You saved Appa. Thank you. And, I bet Appa thanks you too!"

Once again, Zuko received a sloppy lick from the sky bison, much to Zuko's dismay. Aang giggled, and Ty Lee could not help but to join in, especially as the prince scowled, before muttering something about getting cleaned up.

After Zuko walked off, Aang looked at Ty Lee, motioning for her to come closer. "You can't meet Appa from over there."

"I don't think he wants to meet me," she protested, but took a few short steps toward the bison. A growl was Appa's response.

"Oh, c'mon, don't be like that, buddy!" Aang rubbed Appa's muzzle affectionately. "She's a friend, I promise!"

The sky bison snorted, but was otherwise quiet as Ty Lee approached. Slowly, hesitantly, she reached out, still not completely convinced that this giant creature wasn't going to swallow her whole, and pressed her hand against Appa's snout. The skin was warm and dry, and Appa breathed in deep, as if refamiliarizing with her scent.

"Hi," she said quietly, a smile slowly spreading across her cheeks as it became apparent that she was not going to be eaten. "I'm sorry for how we last saw each other."

"…When was that?"

Ty Lee looked quickly at Aang, then away, frowning. "Months ago," she answered. "When I was still traveling with Azula and Mai. You weren't with him, but he was with those…girl warriors. Kyoshi? I think that's right, yeah. Kiyoshi Warriors." The ones she had helped to capture and pose as. "They were protecting him. They did a good job; he was able to fly away."

Aang nodded, and she could feel him putting the pieces together.

"He's so soft." Ty Lee remembered the clumps of fur she had tracked shortly after Mai had joined her and Azula. Even though she had felt it then, Appa's fur seemed softer now, thicker. He let out a rumble.

"Yeah, he's plenty soft," Aang agreed with a smile. "I sleep on him sometimes, don't I, big guy?"

Appa growled, but it seemed gentler, and Aang laughed lightly in return. It was rather infectious; Ty Lee found herself grinning along with him. This was nice. This was easy, comfortable; she could get used to this.

* * *

Not everyone warmed up to her as easily as Aang had, and even he seemed to have trouble letting his guard down around Zuko. Everyone had converged in the room Toph was in for supper, and while the food was nothing that Ty Lee was used to back home (or even when traveling with Azula), the stew Katara had prepared was certainly hearty. While everyone else sat close together around the fire, on the opposite side was where Ty Lee and Zuko ate. The tension in the air was not dissimilar to how it had been back on Ember Island, with Mai and Azula, and Ty Lee almost wanted to get everyone to air their deepest secrets, because what better way to bond?

It was a stupid idea, of course, so she ate quietly, which was difficult, since she loved talking. Zuko did not seem to be struggling in the same way she was. However, he was sitting as stiffly as if Azula was with them. He never could relax around her.

But then again, most people couldn't. Even Ty Lee struggled to let her guard down fully around the princess, and she considered her to be her best friend.

Did Azula still think of her in that respect?

As much as Ty Lee wanted to be considered a part of this new group, they needed time. And, they needed to do what they could to prove they could be trusted. As Katara stood, gathering the dishes from the others, an idea occurred to Ty Lee. She took Zuko's empty bowl and her own, and approached Katara, holding out her hand.

"I can wash them," she offered with a smile.

Katara eyed her up and down, narrowing her gaze. "We don't need your help," she said coldly before walking off.

The smile vanished from Ty Lee's face. Aang made an excuse to follow Katara as everyone else awkwardly avoided looking at Ty Lee. She glanced down at the bowls in her hand; they would still need to be washed.

"Eh, sorry about Katara." It was Sokka who spoke. He was rubbing the back of his neck, grimacing a bit. "She…doesn't forgive easily."

"No kidding," Zuko muttered behind her as Sokka stood.

"No, it's okay," Ty Lee said with a shake of her head. "I understand. It's weird that I'm here. It's weird for me too."

"Yeah…." Sokka stepped forward, and put his hands out, to take the bowls from her. "You're not wrong. Anyway, I'll get these to Katara. But, uh, thanks, for, you know, offering."

Ty Lee nodded as Sokka walked off. She understood, but her heart was heavy. Everything was supposed to go so much simpler, so much better.

"Hey."

Ty Lee turned to look at Zuko. He had risen to his feet, and jerked his head toward the hall. "We should probably get to bed. It's been a long day."

Right. She exhaled through her nose and nodded to him. Best not to push it further tonight. Tomorrow was another day.

* * *

At sunrise, Zuko and Ty Lee performed their usual morning rituals; Zuko did his breathing exercises as Ty Lee stretched and opened her chakras through yoga. It was a comfort to still have this, and while the sunrise was nowhere near as glorious as it had been on Ember Island, the view from the platform was still breathtaking.

Partially through her morning routine, Ty Lee noticed movement to her left. Aang had walked up to where she and Zuko were. He gave her a small smile, then sat down, folding his legs over each other before bringing his hands together at his center. And so, as Zuko breathed, and Ty Lee aligned herself, Aang meditated.

It was Ty Lee's turn to smile, happy to have a new friend join them for their way to greet the day.

* * *

"So…you and Jet, huh?"

Ty Lee look up at Sokka. It was just the two of them in the open area. Zuko had decided it was time to start training Aang to firebend and had pulled him aside for it. Katara was still with Toph, and while Ty Lee really wanted to forge a friendship with them (because she had always spent so much time with other girls, and it would be so much more familiar), she could tell that they (or at least Katara) weren't ready to fully accept her yet.

So she had come here, to do what she always did when she had spare time: practice her gymnastics. It really was a lot of work, to keep her body so limber, but she loved it. It was fun to stand on her head and walk around on her hands; it gave her a different vantage point!

Not long after she had started, Sokka had come out, sword in hand- and when had he gotten a sword? She did not remember him using a sword in the Earth Kingdom. He had taken a seat, running a whetstone along its length, but she could feel his eyes on her, and hoped that it was only out of curiosity and nothing primal. As much as Ty Lee did enjoy attention (and boy, did she like it a lot), she was not looking to have to keep a boy at bay while she was stuck here. She had someone in her life, thank you very much.

When his question cut through the silence, Ty Lee was doing a handstand, and merely looked at Sokka. "Yeah," she said, smiling as she remembered Jet on Shu Jing. "Is it weird? I feel like you guys think it's weird."

No one had really talked to her about her relationship with Jet yet. But then again, no one had really talked to her at all, except for right when they first had accepted she and Zuko into their group.

"Honestly? Kind of." Sokka had set his whetstone down, letting his sword rest against his legs. "It was weird enough just knowing he was into someone from the Fire Nation, and now that we know that it was you…." He exhaled loudly. "Jet just…really hates the Fire Nation. Or hated?"

Ty Lee brought her legs down, flipping upright into a standing position. "Zuko said the same thing."

"Zuko knows Jet?"

Sokka looked absolutely flabbergasted at this information; it was difficult to suppress a giggle at his exaggerated reaction.

"Apparently they met in Ba Sing Se," Ty lee responded. "It's kind of hard to understand. I mean, Jet always knew I was Fire Nation, and he was nothing but a gentleman with me."

"Now _that_ I find harder to believe than Jet ignoring that you're Fire Nation."

Ty Lee blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Sokka sighed, shaking his head. "When we first met Jet, he…was into Katara-"

She let out a gasp. "Is that why Katara is so cold? She's jealous of me?" It certainly would not be the first time someone had been mean to her due to jealousy.

"No! No, Katara is just…Katara. It has nothing to do with Jet," Sokka let out another sigh, this time in exasperation. "No, I mean, I don't know if Jet was just using her because she's a waterbender, or if he was actually interested, but… He was kind of slimy about it all." He wrinkled his nose.

Slimy? That sounded nothing like Jet. "Well, he was nothing but nice to _me_ ," she said, a little defensively. "And what do you mean, he 'used' Katara? That doesn't sound like Jet."

"No offense, but how well do you actually know Jet? Look, I'm not trying to say that Jet is this terrible person; he isn't, not anymore. But he had been willing to do…" Sokka seemed to be searching for the right word. "…Questionable things to get back at the Fire Nation. So it's weird that he was nice to you."

Ty Lee frowned. The tone of this conversation was not comfortable; she felt much as she had when Zuko had tried explaining to her his own history with Jet. What Sokka was saying did align with Zuko's story. It just did not line up with her own experiences.

"But you are friends with him, right?" Ty Lee asked, and was relieved when Sokka nodded.

"Yeah. We're friends now." Sokka let out a chuckle. "It's kind of strange that we are, considering how we'd first met him. But, he's been real helpful…." Sokka trailed off, his smile fading. "We've got to come up with a plan to go get him."

Finally. There had been absolutely no talk about rescuing Jet, up until now. Ty Lee came closer to Sokka, kneeling in front of him. "How soon can we go back for him?"

He only shook his head. "I don't know. The only reason we launched the attack we did was because we'd have the upper hand, thanks to the eclipse. We don't have the numbers we had, and with Toph down, I don't think it's a good idea, not yet."

Her shoulders fell. This was not what she'd hoped to hear. "Oh."

"Hey. Don't worry. We'll get him. We have to go back."

The way Sokka did not look directly at her, at how his voice had grown distant toward the end, Ty Lee knew he was not thinking about going back for Jet specifically. There was someone else who had been left behind on the battlefield. Though she wanted to know who he was so concerned about, she held back. They were not there in their friendship yet.

But maybe soon.


	7. 'Til Tides All Pull

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Azula starts exploring how to use hypnosis for her benefit, and Ty Lee befriends Toph.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really, really enjoy writing out any and all scenes of Ty Lee friending Team Avatar, and I hope you guys enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them. 
> 
> And after a whole chapter without Jet, we're going to see him a bit again. :)
> 
> Accompanying playlist:
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2fYMKVtqxHQtpbXJH53mdl
> 
> I make playlists to keep me inspired for the theme of my fics. This playlist is for the whole of the story, not just this chapter. So if a song seems out of place, we simply haven't reached that point in the fic yet. :)

Jet had no memory of how he came to be in a cell in a dungeon, presumably somewhere in the Fire Nation capital, but he had a pretty good idea of what must have transpired.

He had suddenly come to here, perhaps a day ago (or maybe longer?), and it was so strange and jarring, because he had _just_ been in that underground room with Aang and Toph, confronting the Fire Nation princess who somehow had _fucking Dai Li agents_ with her, because of course she did. She had just been speaking about the Dai Li’s ability to control others, and Toph was screaming at him to run-

And then he was here.

It wasn’t hard to piece it all together. Princess Azula had known the exact phrase to render him under her control. How she had known the phrase was not a mystery; the Dai Li were right there with her. They would have known.

The bigger question was how she had known that he could be affected by the trigger.

He had plenty of time to think it over, and nothing else to do at all. And he went over, in his head, everything the princess had said. She had known who he was from the moment he had entered that room she had been in. Okay, but how? Ty Lee had been mentioned, that she had talked about him a lot, and there was the mind blowing fact that Ty Lee- sweet, bubbly, perky Ty Lee- was friends with this monster, which was difficult to reconcile. But that didn’t explain how she _knew him_ by his face alone.

They must have met. But he would remember that.

Right?

Trying to convince himself of that was useless. Jet knew how unreliable his memory was, thanks to the Di Li. If he had met Azula, and if she had known the trigger, he had no possibility of retaining those memories if she did not wish it.

But that implied that Ty Lee had told Azula all about Jet, and his run ins with the Dai Li, but Ty Lee had no way of knowing that. Or had she come to that conclusion based solely on the fact that he had told her he had once been to Ba Sing Se?

He doubted she could make that connection. It was a wild leap, and she had never been to Ba Sing Se, so how could she have thought to connect him to the Dai Li?

Besides, what had Azula said? That Ty Lee had believed that he was from the colonies, that Azula had been the one to show her that he had lied about his identity. And that led him back to square one:

How had Azula known?

It was unlikely he would ever figure it out. But that did not stop him from analyzing every angle he could think of during his time sitting in the dark cell.

He had been given a few meals in the time he had been here, brought to him by a Dai Li agent. Jet demanded answers from him; how long he had been held, where he was, what had happened to the others, but his questions went unanswered.

Somehow, he managed to fall asleep, maybe due to sheer mental exhaustion, and was awoken by the loud slamming of a door. That sound usually signaled that a meal was coming; Jet had jolted awake at the harsh noise of it, but did not get up. If the agent had not been willing to talk the last two times, it was unlikely that he could eek any information from him this time.

Only, it was not just the Dai Li that approached his cell. Azula had come, flanked by two agents.

“Hello Jet,” she said, almost casually, as if it were perfectly normal to hold a conversation here in these circumstances. “Sorry to leave you here for so long. I’ve been helping my father assess the damage your pitiful invasion managed to cause. Quite a bit of prisoners to deal with, you know.”

Jet tried not to react to her cold smile and said nothing.

“Oh, the strong silent type? I’m surprised. I always thought Ty Lee would find herself someone nearly as chatty as she is.” The princess merely shrugged before continuing on. “That’s fine with me though; I prefer my men to be seen and not heard.”

That earned a glare from Jet. He was gritting his teeth, willing everything in him to keep quiet, that she was goading him, trying to get a rise out of him.

But that reaction seemed to amuse the Azula, the way she smirked in return, and it was a strange smile; cold, cruel, but most terrifying of all, _playful_. She was enjoying this.

“You know Jet, I’m absolutely fascinated by this hold the Dai Li have placed on you. Really, just fascinated. I could hardly believe it was possible until I met you. The way they were able to just wipe away your memory of the war, of current events, of my brother-”

“I’ve never met your brother,” Jet snapped back before he could think better on it. Impossible. How, in the spirit world and on earth, could he have possibly met the Fire Nation prince before his arrest?

Again, that amused smirk rested on Azula’s lips. “Of course you haven’t,” she replied smoothly. “Just as you never met me in Fire Fountain City with Ty Lee just a couple of weeks ago.”

Jet froze at those words. Had he…. Had he really? He tried to think on it, thought back on the time spent in that city, and the memories of the scams the others had pulled came easily, of the fight between Katara and Toph…. But nothing else. He couldn’t even pinpoint anywhere there were gaps in time.

“I am _so_ pleased that your journey brought you here, to me,” Azula continued on. “You have given me a grand solution to a problem. You see, I like having control over others, and I thought I had found a perfectly reasonable way to maintain that necessary control. Fear is an excellent motivator, however…. It is unreliable.”

The princess let out a small sigh, but it felt forced, as if for dramatic effect.

“You see, I thought I had control over Ty Lee. She has always been so receptive to me, always willing to do anything and everything I have ever asked. She even brought you to me. But, somehow, something gave her the courage to run off with my traitorous brother during the eclipse.” Her eyes, which had already held a bit of malice in them, became colder. “Something spoke more strongly to her than her fear of me. I hardly know what that could be, but it doesn’t matter anymore. Because of you. You have shown me it is possible to control someone entirely, to take their will completely from them. I know you don’t remember, but you fought for me during the eclipse. That poor little earthbender is probably dead right now, you did _such_ a good job.”

Jet felt his stomach twist at her words. _No_. He did not want to believe it.

“You became the perfect weapon, and I can’t wait to see what else I can do with you.”

* * *

Somehow, Zuko lost his ability to bend, or rather, his ‘stuff’ as he had so eloquently called it. For a brief instant, Ty Lee worried that she would somehow be blamed for Zuko’s sudden inability to firebend, before reminding herself that, if she _had_ , Zuko would not be walking around.

Katara’s reaction to this was rather cold, and Ty Lee nearly came to Zuko’s defense. She had to make friends with her, she reminded herself. She _had_ to. Ty Lee had never failed to befriend anyone. And if she was going to convince the group that rescuing Jet was to be a priority, it would help if everyone did not hate her.

Not that it seemed like everyone had forgotten Jet. No, she knew they had not. But, there were other, more pressing matters, such as the Avatar learning to firebend.

It was decided that Zuko and Aang would travel to the Sun Warrior ruins, to hopefully find something to bring his bending back. Of all the plans they could have come up with, this was Ty Lee’s least favorite. The only person she had actually managed to befriend was Aang, and he was going to leave her, taking the only other person she considered a friend with him?

At least Sokka had started warming up to her.

Ty Lee sighed, watching Appa fly off with the two boys. This was fine. She would be fine. She would find plenty of things to do while waiting for them to return, she was certain of it!

…And she had been absolutely wrong in that regard. Ty Lee did not know what to do with herself during this free time besides stretching and meditating, and while those were both very pleasant and important activities, they only took so much time out of the day. Katara was still giving her distrusting looks and never was far from Toph, so it was pretty much out of the question to approach them. Sokka drifted back and forth between helping- or was it bothering?- his sister, and spending time with the others, who also gave her a wide berth.

After what felt like an absolute eternity of sitting in the communal area, sitting in silence and giving the girls an excessive amount of space, Ty Lee was at her wit’s end. This was torture for her, and she could not do it any longer. Forgoing a deep breath for courage, she stood up, and walked over to Katara. She was sewing patches onto someone’s clothes and seated by Toph, who tossing a rock lazily from one hand to the other.

“Hi,” Ty Lee smiled at them; neither looked up at her, but Toph stopped throwing the rock and simply held it. “I was wondering if you need any help with anything. You seem pretty busy all the time.”

And Katara _was_ always at work. If she wasn’t cooking, she was mending clothes, washing clothes, generally acting like the housekeeper who was also the head maid _and_ laundry maid _and_ the cook. It seemed like an awful lot of work.

Katara paused in her sewing, setting the garment down to look up at Ty Lee. “And what do you think you can help me with?”

Ty Lee wasn’t sure if there was a real curiosity in her tone, or if she was edging into sarcasm, but decided to take the optimistic route. Even still, the question Katara had asked was a strange one, and clarification was needed. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Katara responded with a sigh, “I’ve seen high society of the Earth Kingdom, and I can’t imagine it’s too different for the Fire Nation. I hardly think you’d have any chores.”

Ty Lee frowned. “I didn’t have any chores when I lived with my parents-

“That’s what I thought.” Katara picked up her sewing again.

“What Sugar Queen is trying to say is that she doesn’t think rich kids learn any life skills,” Toph interjected, and Katara rolled her eyes at the nickname. “I knew how to take care of my stuff though, didn’t I?”

Katara rolled her eyes. “Yeah, but you didn’t help anyone e _lse_ out at all when you joined up,” she bit back.

“Yeah? And Ty Lee _is_ so I’d say you should probably let her help.” Toph let out a small huff. “So, what sort of things can you do?”

Relief washed over her as she realized that, just maybe, she had a chance of getting through to the two of them. “I can sew a bit. I had to mend my own costumes when I was in the circus.”

That made Katara pause, and when she looked back up at Ty Lee again, the distrust in her eyes was gone, leaving only curiosity. “You were in a circus?”

With an eager nod, Ty Lee gracefully knelt on the ground. “For about a year. It was loads of fun! I would balance on the tightrope, and sometimes I’d get to swing on the trapeze if of the trapeze artists was ill.”

This news was something of a surprise, clearly, from how Katara was only staring at her as if what she said was unbelievable. “I…guess that makes sense,” the waterbender finally settled on saying. “You do a lot of flippy moves when fighting.”

“Light on your feet, just like Twinkletoes,” Toph chuckled a bit, and Ty Lee smiled a bit more easily, though she was not quite sure who Twinkletoes was just yet. Hopefully, she would soon.

Looking to Katara, she slowly held her hands out, offering to take the sewing from her, and it was a relief when Katara handed the work to her. She examined the patchwork Katara had been working on; her stitches were tight, close together, much neater than Ty Lee was used to. However, Ty Lee was completely self-taught.

She immediately set to work, trying to mimic Katara’s stitches. 

* * *

The dungeons were hardly Azula’s favorite place in the palace. They were old and musty and been abandoned from their intended use decades before her father had ever taken the throne. She had been down in them a few times in her youth, mostly to prove to Zuko that she was much more fearless than he was (since he stupidly _was_ scared of them). The cells were still functional, and thank goodness, for she needed someplace to put Jet.

The Dai Li agents had discouraged her from keeping him permanently in his triggered state; there was a possibility of ‘irreparable brain damage,’ according to them. The dungeons allowed her to keep her newest plaything close, and easily confined. And, there was an added benefit to them.

At the far end of the dungeons, past the rows and rows of cells, was a large room, a former torture chamber. Its dimensions were, again according to the Dai Li, perfect to house a reeducation room, as they so cleverly called it. Azula had ordered construction on the brainwashing device immediately.

It currently was nearly complete. Perhaps most surprising about the device was the simplicity of it all; the hardest piece to come by was a green glass lamp, which was already in commission. Much sooner than she had anticipated, Azula would have the ability to render whoever she desired under her control.

The thought was exhilarating.

However, she did have some questions.

“What are the limitations of this hypnosis?”

She was standing in the reeducation room, two Dai Lie agents with her. They had just explained the general mechanics of it, which was not nearly as important to her as the practical application of it all.

They glanced at each other, as if confused, before one spoke up. “What do you mean by that, Your Highness?”

Azula rolled her eyes. The question had been stated as simply as she could possibly think of. “What, exactly, can this do? What can’t it do? Jet revealed to me that the ‘new’ memories given to him in Ba Sing Se had not actually replaced his real ones, just covered them up. With the help of a waterbending healer, he had been able to retrieve his real memories. That feels like sloppy work. I want to know if it is possible to completely remove memories, as if they had never existed, so they cannot be retrieved.”

“I…suppose it is possible. It has never been done before.”

Finally. An actual answer. “Very well,” Azula nodded to them. “As soon as construction is completed, I want this attempted, on our current prisoner.”

The agents bowed to her, nodding. “Of course, Your Highness. What memories would you like us to remove from the man?”

Ah. Azula nearly waved them off, telling them to pick whatever seemed like a good starting point for she knew so little of Jet’s life when a thought occurred to her. “Ty Lee. I want you to remove any and all memories of Ty Lee from his mind.”

Again they nodded their compliance. Azula started to leave the room, but paused at the doorway, looking back at the agents over her shoulder.

“Report back to me when you are done. If successful, we will test larger, more important memories.”

* * *

To say Ty Lee was pleased at the progress she had made with Katara was an understatement. True, Katara did not have her guard down around her completely yet, and she certainly was not as light-hearted in her conversations when Ty Lee was included, but she was letting Ty Lee in.

It felt good. Really good. This was all very new to her; she never had to work so hard at getting someone to like her before. But, then again, she never had to try to befriend someone she had chi blocked before.

Toph was much easier. Once they had realized they had something in common (joining a line of work in entertainment that their respective parents found to be completely unsavory), Toph talked to her at length about her time in the Earth Rumble tournaments as Ty Lee continued the various mending projects Katara gave to her. It did come as a shock, however, when it clicked that Toph was _blind_ , which she only really realized at the nickname Toph performed under. It suddenly made _so much sense_ , why Toph never actually faced anyone when they spoke, and Ty Lee felt like a right fool when she actually took notice of the earthbender’s pale eyes.

Only a complete idiot would not have realized Toph was blind.

Ty Lee knew she was not stupid. Ty Lee was certain of this. She was not cunning, but she also was not stupid, despite what others thought of her. But it was moments like this that made her question whether or not others saw the truth, and she was simply too dumb to know.

“Hey.” A pebble hit her on the arm, and Ty Lee looked swiftly up at Toph. It was just the two of them now, as Katara had left to find Sokka so that he could help with preparing their next meal. “What’d you go all sad for all the sudden?”

Ty Lee blinked, surprised that Toph had known. She hadn’t sighed, hadn’t shifted, hadn’t done anything at all that Toph should have been able to detect a mood change. “What, how did you know-”

“My earthbending. I feel people, feel what’s going on inside them. You got all droopy the way Sokka does when he’s served a meal without meat in it. So, spill.”

Ty Lee sat up a little straighter, and shook her head. “It’s nothing. I’m not sad, honest!”

“You’re lying,” Toph said, and it wasn’t accusatory. She spoke it as a fact, a statement. “I can tell when people are lying. So c’mon. I said something that made you get all weird and stuff. Just tell me what I did.”

“It wasn’t _you_ ,” Ty Lee sighed. “I just, I didn’t realize you were blind until just now, and I probably should have.”

“And that makes you _s_ _ad_?”

“No, no, it’s…. She took in a breath, trying to figure out how to explain this to someone she really had only just met. “I feel stupid for not realizing it. And everyone already thinks I am stupid, so…. Sometimes I wonder if I am.”

“You’re not stupid.”

She gave Toph a look. How could Toph possibly make that judgement without having spent much time with her at all. It had been years that she had spent with Azula, and Azula didn’t seem to think she was very smart.

“I don’t know what that head gesture meant,” Toph continued, “but I can tell you don’t agree with me. Listen. People like to label others and fit them into neat little roles because it makes life simpler. It’s easier to believe that a tiny blind girl is fragile and weak and needs to be protected, just like it’s easier to believe that a bubbly girl who enjoys cartwheels and flirting is stupid, but that doesn’t make it true.”

That made Ty Lee smile a little, and then everything Toph said sunk in. “Hey, how do you know I like flirting?”

“I may be blind, but I am not deaf, and I definitely heard you flirting with Sokka back in Ba Sing Se.”

“Oh.” Her cheeks go bright red, and Ty Lee is thankful that Toph is unable to see it. “I mean, I do enjoy it. It’s fun, and Sokka _is_ cute- not that I’m actually interested in him, because I’m not!”

Toph chuckled. “Don’t worry, he’s not interested in you either. He has a girlfriend.”

Maybe Ty Lee was reading too much into it, but Toph sounded a little disappointed about Sokka’s relationship status, and her aura became tinged with blue. She would not bring it up; she was pretty positive the earthbender would not appreciate her crush being brought to light.

“Oh really? Is it another Water Tribe girl, I guess from where he’s from? That would be so romantic!”

“Uh, no. He’s dating Suki, the head of the Kyoshi Warriors. You know, the girls you posed as in Ba Sing Se.”

Ty Lee paled and dropped her needle in thread. “Oh. Oh no, _oh no_.” Her hands clasped to her cheeks, her eyes were wide. She thought she had known all the ways she had wronged everyone who rallied around the Avatar, but it seemed she was very, very wrong. “Oh Agni, do you think he _hates_ me? I feel so bad, I really do.”

“Calm down. If Sokka hated you, you’d know. He might not hold a grudge the same way Katara does, but he does not let things go easily if they bother him.”

That was a relief. She let out a soft sigh, turning her attention back down to the sewing in her lap.

“You know,” Toph spoke slowly after a moment, and when Ty Lee looked at her, her eyes were closed; she seemed to be settling down for a nap. “You don’t need to worry so much about everyone liking you. Trust me; you’re in. You don’t have to prove anything.”

Toph might not have been able to see it, but Ty Lee was absolutely beaming.

* * *

“You’re…weirdly nice.”

Ty Lee blinked at the child in front of her, as he shoved the helmet that was much too large back on his head before he scampered off, chasing after the boy in the cart.

She had finished her sewing and Toph had fallen asleep, and it had been hours since she’d last stretched, so Ty Lee had come out to the open platform where she would do her morning yoga. The others, who she hadn’t had much of a chance to get to know yet, were out there, staring up at one of the statues of airbenders. Perched on the top of one was the helmet that belonged to the Duke, who was extremely unhappy about this. They were arguing over how to get it down; the Duke had attempted to climb the statue, but was unable to and wanted Haru to earthbend the helmet down.

Haru felt this was dangerous, and that the statue was probably of someone important, and that Aang would be unhappy if anything happened to the statue. Instead, he felt that Teo should try to glide up to knock it off, which Teo said was a bad idea for very similar reasons.

No one explained to Ty Lee _how_ the helmet had gotten up there. The only thing that mattered was getting it down.

It had been incredibly easy for Ty Lee to reach it. She was able to spring up to the top of the statue through a series of flips and a kick off of a nearby wall. With a grin, she had knelt down in front of the Duke, holding out the helmet.

Which is when he had said…that.

“Um, thanks?” Ty Lee called after him, standing up straight. What an odd thing to say.

“The Duke’s right, you know.”

She turned around. Sokka was standing in the doorway to the room where Toph was. He could not have been there long, probably only long enough to have seen that exchange. Still, she frowned at what Sokka said.

“What do you mean by that?” she asked, her head tilting slightly as she tried to figure it out. “Why is it weird that I’m nice?”

Sokka shrugged, coming closer to her. “It just is. I mean, you’re friendly and peppy and nice, and it is just weird. We’ve pictured the Fire Nation as the enemy for so long, it is a little strange for you to be pretty much the opposite what we’ve imagined.”

Ty Lee considered what he said, and it made a little bit of sense. But still, she was having a hard time wrapping her head around them imagining everyone in the Fire Nation to be mean or something. “Everyone I know is pretty nice, too, and they’re all Fire Nation.”

She had felt the need to come to the defense of her country, even knowing the war they were fighting was not a just one. But the people of the Fire Nation were not the ones calling the shots for the war. They should not be considered in the same light as the Fire Lord.

“So you’re telling me that your friends are just as warm and fuzzy as you are?” Sokka’s brow was raised in an incredulous look.

That actually caused Ty Lee to laugh. “Oh, gosh no,” she giggled. “Mai is quiet and serious, but I guess she’s also a bit sarcastic? I don’t understand her humor all the time. But when she’s with Zuko, she is softer, even if it’s just a little bit. And Azula….” She bit her lip, thinking of how to word this. “She’s serious too, and really smart, but she can be nice when she feels like it.”

Sokka was looking at her as if she was crazy. “You mean you are friends with someone who is only nice…on occasion? When they want to be?”

“Mm-hmm!” Ty Lee nodded, a smile on her lips. That didn’t mean that Azula was _mean_ per se, just that she had other things she focused on more than being overtly nice.

“That…. How are you even friends with her? Like, how did you become friends with Azula?”

His tone was less than respectful of Azula, and it made her wince, even being far from Azula’s side. The princess would not have tolerated hearing him speak this way.

“We were in school together,” Ty Lee explained. “My sisters and I were talking too much, so we weren’t allowed to sit together in class anymore. My seat was moved next to Azula’s. I didn’t know who she was- I was really young, maybe five or six?- and I was so excited to have someone new beside me to talk to because I had only ever had my sisters as playmates up until then. But I wasn’t supposed to be talking then either, and the teacher started to scold me. I thought I was going to end up in big trouble, but Azula started to argue with the teacher. I forget what she said, but she kept me from getting in trouble, and I’ve been her friend ever since.”

It was a nice memory. Azula was the first friend she had ever made outside of her own family.

“Huh.” Sokka rubbed the back of his neck, apparently confused. “You’re telling me that Azula- the same Azula that tried to kill Aang and forced Jet to attack Toph- stuck up for someone she had never met before?”

“Y-yes,” Ty Lee stammered out, her mind more focused on the fact that it had been Jet that had injured Toph. Or, to be more accurate, Jet had been used to hurt her. She hoped he would not be able to remember doing that. It was also concerning that Azula had done that- but Azula did not know Toph, and this was during the eclipse when Azula would not have had her bending, so surely she felt cornered and needed to defend herself some way.

It was easy to make excuses for Azula’s behavior. She had been doing it for her whole life. It was just beginning to get difficult to believe them.

And so, Ty Lee opted to change the topic entirely. She cleared her throat.

“Um, Sokka, I do want to apologize to you for, um, for Suki.”

His eyes got wider when she said his girlfriend’s name. “Wha-”

“It was Azula, Mai, and I that took out her Kyoshi Warriors,” Ty Lee quickly continued. “We assumed their identities to get into Ba Sing Se, which you already knew, but I don’t know if you knew it was Suki’s band of warriors that we took their uniforms from. I…. I don’t know how many Kyoshi Warriors are out there. But. Anyway. I didn’t realize what I was doing was so wrong back then, and then Toph told me about Suki and you, and I’m just really sorry.”

Before her, Sokka looked to be lost for words. He swallowed, and looked down at the ground, and flexed his fingers, as if wishing he had something to grip.

“What happened to her?” Sokka did not look at her while he spoke.

“I don’t know exactly,” Ty Lee admitted, before quickly adding, “We didn’t kill them! I’ve never killed anyone, I promise. But they were captured. They are probably in a prison somewhere, maybe the Boiling Rock? Suki could be there at least.”

The water tribe warrior only nodded. Finally, he responded, still without looking at her. “Thanks. For telling me. I, uh, got to go.”

And then he muttered something about cleaning boomerang as he walked off. Ty Lee watched him go, and let out a soft sigh. Hopefully, he wasn’t mad at her, but she wouldn’t blame him if he was.

* * *

It had been a long time- years, really- since Mai had been in Azula’s bedroom, not since they had been young girls, still amused by slumber parties and Azula’s cruel games of teasing Zuko. But in the wake of the eclipse and Ty Lee’s subsequent disappearance and Zuko’s declaration of joining the Avatar, Azula was opting to keep her close, much to Mai’s dissatisfaction.

She had been given no time to come to terms with the fact that her boyfriend, the once crown prince of the Fire Nation, had turned his back on her, on his family, and on his country. He had not said goodbye, had not even written a letter. In just a day, he had fled from her world, leaving her with a hole in her gut to deal with the aftermath.

Mai was close to both Zuko and Ty Lee. It was believed that Ty Lee's disappearance was linked to Zuko’s abandonment, so of course, Mai was interrogated at length.

Of course, she had nothing to tell them. The only thing she had any knowledge of were the secret meetings (which she had never been privy to what they were about) she had allowed them to have in her nearly vacant house, and though her heart was breaking from how Zuko left her, she knew better than to even give that up.

She stood by Azula, her expression passive. There was very little that could shake her into revealing what she truly felt; years and years of practice, of forcing down her reactions and suppressing her emotions had give her excellent control over herself.

But what Azula was showing her, combined with the stress from the recent events, was testing her limits.

Before her stood a young man, no older than Zuko. He was not moving, only stared straight ahead, but it was easily apparent that he was not _seeing_ anything at all. His eyes were vacant, emotionless; they almost looked dead. This young man, who was so wholly Earth Kingdom in appearance that Mai couldn’t fathom how Ty Lee hadn’t marked him as such from the instant she’d met him, was Jet, was the same Jet that both Ty Lee and Zuko had known. Azula was explaining to her how she and Ty Lee had found him on one of the nearby islands, and how Azula’s hunch had been right- that Jet had been brainwashed by the Dai Li.

Mai could barely focus on Azula’s words. Instead, she was trying to imagine how Ty Lee had felt when she saw Jet like this. She had no basis for comparison, of how Jet acted and looked and moved when he was his own free person, but she knew this stiff person with the dead eyes must be far from it. It was only when she thought of what it would feel like to see Zuko like this that she had some sort of idea.

That mental image only filled Mai with anger and fear.

“Really remarkable,” Azula was saying, and there was a hint of admiration in her voice that made Mai feel sick. “So clever what the Dai Li were able to come up with to fix problems in their city.”

“…..Why are you telling me this?”

Mai had wanted to sound merely bored, but even she had heard the hints of curiosity, of uncertainty in her own voice. There was no possibility that Azula had missed it.

Azula looked at Mai, the smirk she wore when she was proud of herself on her lips. “I know you don’t have much of an imagination, Mai, but think of the possibilities. In this state, Jet is unable to deny any of my commands. With a simple order, he tried to kill his friends. Now, just think: if we used this on our prisoners, the earth benders, the water benders, why I think this war would come to a swift end, don’t you? I doubt the people of the other nations would willingly kill their own.”

The princess gazed at Jet a moment, and Mai chose to stay silent, focusing instead to keep her face passive.

“And,” Azula continued, almost as an afterthought, “I think this could also be a fitting punishment for any traitors.”

Her voice was like ice, a harsher edge than Mai was used to hearing. She looked quickly to the princess. “You mean Ty Lee?”

Azula’s lips curled up into a cruel smile. “Mai, you sound upset at the notion. Could you be harboring sympathy for our backstabbing friend?”

There was no proof that Ty Lee had turned against them. She was only gone, missing, no sign of her anywhere. It was just as probable that she had been killed during the invasion and her body had not been found yet as it was that she had turned traitor.

Except Mai knew better. Those meetings with Zuko, how she refused to tell her anything….

Mai turned her gaze back to Jet, at his empty eyes. “No,” she said with a shake of her head. “Just surprised.”

“Good. I’d hate for you to fall into the same category as Ty Lee. When I catch her, I have…special plans.”

Mai knew better than to ask what they were. The implications of this conversation were clear: if she were to step out of line, Azula would do the same to her as had been done to Jet.


	8. This Calm Harbor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ty Lee and Aang discuss Ty Lee's connection to all things spiritual, and Azula finds the Western Air Temple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Accompanying playlist:
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2fYMKVtqxHQtpbXJH53mdl
> 
> I make playlists to keep me inspired for the theme of my fics. This playlist is for the whole of the story, not just this chapter. So if a song seems out of place, we simply haven't reached that point in the fic yet. :)

When Zuko and Aang returned from their search for in the Sun Warrior ruins, they were filled with so much vigor and excitement that Ty Lee found it a little bit contagious. She watched, entranced, as they performed some sort of new firebending moves called the Dancing Dragon. While she did not completely understand the significance of the movements (and clearly neither did Sokka, from his sarcastic remark), it was apparent that _they_ did, and really, wasn’t that what mattered?

That, and Zuko had his ability to firebend again, so Aang could now learn. The Avatar was now able to study and train, and then they could come up with a plan to return to the Fire Nation. Aang would do what was needed to end the war, and Ty Lee would ensure that Jet would not return anywhere that someone might be able to take advantage of him.

She knew that the others thought she was obsessive, and maybe a little too into Jet, the way her mind kept focusing on this task. But none of them really understood. This was not about any sort of romantic feeling she had for him. Of course she liked him; she liked him a lot! But even if he were only a friend, or an acquaintance, she would be just as focused on saving him, because she saw just how horrifying this brainwashing truly was.

Back, while planning their departure from the Fire Nation, she had tried to tell Zuko about it. But either he found her recount, of his lack of aura, to be exaggerated, or he more likely thought she had only imagined it. He never had much patience when Ty Lee spoke of auras.

Aang was the only one who had ever seemed to have any sort of interest at all about them, but there was already so much that he was shouldering. It felt wrong to put any more pressure on him.

So Ty Lee did what she could to help out. Whenever possible, she would oh so casually remind Zuko that Aang could use more training. She stayed near Toph and helped Katara with changing her bandages whenever the waterbender would allow her to. It was rather astounding, to watch Katara use water to heal Toph’s wound, and it did seem to be healing nicely.

The day that Toph was able to stand up and walk around was the same day that Sokka and Zuko left early in the morning to go fishing, before even Ty Lee had awoken, leaving only a note to explain their absence.

Ty Lee did what she could to hide her displeasure. The fact that Zuko had opted to take the war balloon instead of Appa made her uneasy. If they were not going to be gone long, why not take the sky bison? And for Zuko to be stepping away from his duty to train the Avatar? That was not like Zuko at all. Something was afoot.

If any of the others felt the same way, they did not mention it, so Ty Lee held her tongue.

The morning passed lazily. Aang had joined Ty Lee for her usual morning yoga, and even did some of the poses with her. Just a few weeks ago, if she had been asked if she thought there was a possibility that she would become friends with the Avatar, Ty Lee would have thought the question to be a little ridiculous. But, except for her Aunt Ya, Aang was the only other person to share any sort of interest in what Azula had kindly dubbed ‘spiritual nonsense.’

After their stretches and mediation were complete, Ty Lee sat with Aang, looking out over the gorge as they shared a breakfast of papaya and pomelos.

“Say, how is it that you can see auras?” Aang asked, handing Ty Lee a slice of papaya. “Did someone teach you?”

Ty Lee scrunched her face, thinking. “Kind of? I could always kind of see auras, I think, but when I was younger, they weren’t as clear. I couldn’t see them on everyone, just those I knew well, and if their emotions were really strong. But my Aunt Ya, she has always been sensitive- that’s her word for the spiritually inclined- and she realized I could sort of see auras, so she taught me one summer when I was about eight, I think? And it wasn’t just auras. She taught me about chakras and chi blocking, mediation and yoga.”

Aang took a bite out of his papaya slice and frowned. “She taught you how to chi block?”

Right. Ty Lee had successfully skirted the topic of her signature fighting method the entire time she had been with this group, with the sole exception of when she had apologized for fighting them (and even then, had kept it vague). It was not lost on her that chi blocking was an especially cruel tactic; benders were so closely tied to the element, being forcibly disconnected from it must be a horrifying experience.

She slowly chewed the bite of fruit she had taken as Aang had asked her the question, buying herself time to respond.

“Yeah,” she finally spoke. “She did. It… It is apparently a family practice, but not everyone gets to learn it. She said that it’s important for the art of it to be passed on, because it apparently saved one of my ancestors at the start of the war. She said I got to learn it because of how I see auras, that I’m sensitive.”

That, by only the most spiritually inclined knowing how to render a bender defenseless, they would be less likely to use it impulsively. Aunt Ya clearly had not expected Ty Lee to be beckoned out to the war by Azula.

“How did it save your ancestor?” Somehow, Aang wasn’t judging her. But then again, he seemed to be just about the most open-minded person she had ever met.

Ty Lee shrugged. “I don’t know. Aunt Ya said she would tell me the following summer, but then Azula and I got even closer, and I didn’t go back to visit my aunt. After that, I guess she just sort of forgot?”

She ate more of her breakfast, and Aang did the same. In the silence between them, Ty Lee wanted to promise Aang that she was done chi blocking, that she had been forced to use it far more than she had ever anticipated, and that while she had never chi blocked him, she really wanted him to know that she was so, _so_ sorry for having done it to his friends.

Instead, she ate. She had been apologizing a lot in the last week. If anyone did not know she was sorry, it was simply because they had not listened.

As she cut into and peeled the pomelo, separating the segments for her and Aang to enjoy, he asked another question of her.

“Did you ever tell Jet who you are? I mean, he had never mentioned that you were close to the princess or anything.”

“I didn’t.” She held out several pomelo segments for Aang to take. “I didn’t lie to him, exactly, I just…didn’t reveal everything.”

“Why not?” Aang popped one of the segments in his mouth. “I mean, I know when you had met Jet, your connection to the princess and what you did with her in Ba Sing Se, that must have been a big accomplishment to everyone in the Fire Nation, right?”

It was so strange to hear him speak of what happened in Ba Sing Se not in a wholly negative light. What she had assisted in had led to his near death; she had seen the scar on his chest from Azula’s lightning. How on earth was he so understanding?

“It is- was. I just wanted to make sure Jet liked me for me,” she explained. “He was so nice and sweet, and I hadn’t had the chance to get to know _any_ cute boys in so long. But…. My parents are high-ranking nobles, and my best friend is the crown princess. I’ve spent enough time in the royal court to know that someone like me can be used as a means to achieving higher status. I didn’t want to risk Jet using me.”

“I can understand that,” Aang replied with a nod. “But, you still consider the princess to be your friend?”

She didn’t have to look at his aura to know he was confused, and probably a little concerned. Once again, she bought time by eating.

“I do. Azula has- she’s made a lot of bad choices, but she’s been misled. Everyone has been. But if I can change, and Zuko can change, then I don’t see why Azula can’t.” Ty Lee couldn’t bring herself to look at Aang as she spoke. Azula had tried to kill him. She knew this. But Azula was only misguided, and Ty Lee refused to believe that she could be beyond redemption. “She just…. She just needs to see that what she’s been doing is wrong.”

She did not miss, out of the corner of her eye, Aang gingerly touching his chest, right where his scar was. “Do you really think that’s possible?”

“I hope it is.”

* * *

Mid afternoon arrived with no sign of Sokka and Zuko. Only Katara seemed concerned, though this seemed to be more out of misplaced fear that Zuko might do something to her brother. All dishes had been cleaned from lunch, and everyone was sort of lazing about, until Toph announced that she was bored and wanted to earthbend.

This, of course, led to an argument between her and Katara, over whether or not she could earthbend yet due to her injury. It only ended when Toph angrily announced that she would concede from earthbending so long as she could critique Aang on his bending. Of course, if he was to earthbend, he was going to need an opponent, which then led to the discussion of _who_ was he going to spar with? At first, it seemed like it was going to be a combination of Haru and Katara, until Toph spoke up again.

“I think it should be Ty Lee. Aang hasn’t fought with or against her yet.”

Ty Lee froze as five pairs of eyes settled on her.

“What are you talking about?” Katara asked, arms folded over her chest and a small scowl on her lips. “Aang and Ty Lee have fought before. Or have you forgotten how she helped the Fire Nation princess hunt us all over the Earth Kingdom?”

Aang was shaking his head. “No… Toph is right.” He looked to Ty Lee. “She was always there, but…we never actually went up against each other. Azula always targeted me separately.”

“You won’t be able to anticipate her actions. It’ll be the best way to hone your earthbending, Twinkle-Toes,” Toph pushed.

Katara’s scowl had only deepened, and honestly, Ty Lee couldn’t blame her entirely.

“ I really don’t feel comfortable chi blocking you,” she said to Aang.

“At least we agree on that,” Katara huffed.

The Duke cleared his throat, “Um, what’s chi blocking?”

Ty Lee sighed. How to explain so an eight year old understood? “There are certain points in the body where, if hit correctly, can keep a bender from bending. It can also be used to temporarily paralyze.”

“I seem to remember you using it for _both_.”

“Oh, Katara, let it go, she’s on our side now,” Toph brushed Katara off. “Aang is only going to be properly prepared if he fights _all_ kinds of people. Ty Lee, you up for sparring against Aang?”

“I’m alright with it,” Aang spoke up with an encouraging smile.

Ty Lee exhaled. “Okay. But I’m not going to actually chi block you.”

How, exactly, she’d fight without chi blocking, Ty Lee was not sure. But it felt wrong to chi block the Avatar. And she did not want Katara’s opinion of her to worsen.

She would figure something out.

An hour later, they were topside of the cliffs. Ty Lee and Aang stood some twenty feet apart, everyone else was gathered to one side to watch the sparring match. This was so strange. It had been _years_ since Ty Lee had a friendly sparring match with anyone, and that was because it had _not_ ended in a friendly way. Azula had banned her from ever engaging in a match with her again, even though it had been Azula’s idea to spar in the first place.

Aang, however, seemed perfectly at ease, and only settled into a defensive stance with a determined look as Ty Lee did the same. A deep breath in, and then a slow one out, and then Ty Lee took off running toward Aang.

* * *

“That was amazing!”

The Duke, it seemed, was going to be Ty Lee’s biggest cheerleader. He was jumping up and down in excitement, and it was really sweet, even if she was on the ground, catching her breath after Aang had finally managed to knock her down.

Sparring with Aang had been something very different from what she was used to. Of course, Ty Lee did not consider herself a fighter or warrior or anything akin to that; no, she was an acrobat who happened to know a very valuable skillset against benders. She had not started the match expecting to be victorious.

But she had expected Aang to win much sooner than he had.

It was obvious that Aang was used to fighting benders, and not necessarily in close contact. She had seen his surprise as she evaded rocks and gusts of wind being thrown at her, and used some of the upshoots of stone to propel herself forward. Or maybe he was not accustomed to going up against someone who used the elements and their surroundings to their advantage?

Either way, she had gotten close to him on multiple occasions. Not quite close enough to get a hit in (not that she was going to try to chi block him, but she figured that, at least to make this realistic, she might attempt to throw a punch), but close enough that Aang would retreat.

But then he had managed to strike her with a _particularly_ forceful rock that sent her flying back. She hit the ground harder than she was willing to admit, but thankfully, there were no broken bones. Ty Lee lay in the grass for a moment, distantly hearing the Duke shout about how incredible she was (and really, it was so endearing), catching her breath.

“Hey, you okay?”

Aang was standing over her, hands on his knees and concern in his eyes. “I didn’t hit you too hard, did I?”

With a small shake of her head, Ty Lee shot him a smile. “No,” she panted. “Not too hard.”

But as he helped her to her feet, she added, “But I don’t think I can do a second round.”

* * *

The boys had not returned by dinner, nor nightfall.

Ty Lee missed Zuko that night. No one had actually invited her and Zuko to join them in the communal area to sleep, and maybe it had simply reached a point where she should assume it was fine to move where she was sleeping, but Katara still did not trust her. Gaining her trust appeared to be a delicate matter, and she did not want to risk doing something to set herself back further in Katara’s eyes. So, she slept alone in the room that Sokka had ‘given’ to her and Zuko.

Zuko’s bedroll was still empty in the morning.

Haru joined her and Aang for early morning yoga and meditation, though it was obvious he had never done yoga before, and maybe meditation was little bit of a mystery to him as well. Ty Lee did not mind.

Occasionally, she would think back to how it had been when she had traveled the Earth Kingdom with Mai and Azula. Mai had no interest in Ty Lee’s morning ritual, which was not surprising, since Mai had very few interests. However, occasionally, she would sit nearby, sharpening her knives, and those were nice moments.

Azula, however, seemed to have little patience for it all. She would sometimes comment on it, in her usual off-hand sarcastic manner, and Ty Lee would laugh because it made Azula feel better to think she was funny. Those moments were not so nice.

But here, surrounded by so many people, all different but all accepting in their own ways, there were more nice moments than not. Every now and then, Ty Lee would catch herself wondering if this was what friendship was supposed to be like, but she would scold herself for thinking such things. She knew friendship; she had been friends with Azula and Mai for most of her life.

Friendship in this group simply felt…different.

Katara let her help with the dishes after lunch, and it was another step in the right direction.

Toph gave her a nickname when she was talking animatedly with Aang about his time with Guru Pathik (“Calm it down, Perky! I’m trying to nap!”).

It was little things, but she was feeling more and more a part of their group.

And thankfully, as the sun began its descent, Aang finally spoke up about Sokka and Zuko’s absence. “Do you think they’ve been gone a long time?” he asked as Katara portioned out the stew she had prepared for dinner.

“I don’t know,” Toph answered. “How long does it take to go fishing anyway?”

Katara shrugged. “At home, fishing trips can last for several days. Fishing holes are cut out far from our village, and it can take a while to catch a sufficient amount.”

“I don’t think it takes days to go fishing here,” Ty Lee said with a frown. “I mean, I’ve never gone, but I’m pretty sure it should only be a one day thing.”

Aang and Katara wore matching frowns, and Katara looked out over the gorge, as if she might see something that would indicate that everything was fine.

“It’s getting dark, it’s too late to go looking for them,” she said. “But…if they aren’t back by the morning, maybe we should see if we can’t- Wait!”

Ty Lee looked quickly to where Katara was looking; the waterbender had risen to her feet, staring hard down the length of the gorge. It took a moment, in the dim light, to realize there was a dark mass coming toward them. There was only one thing it could be: the war balloon. She let out the breath she did not know she was holding.

And then, as the mass moves closer, it is much bigger than the war balloon, and with a twist in her gut, Ty Lee recognized it as an airship.

“Quick, douse the fire!” she hissed. “It’s not them!”

“What?” Aang questions, but thankfully, Katara is quick to follow Ty Lee’s direction, bending water from a nearby fountain onto the flames.

Do they run? Do they fight? Which is the worse idea? Katara had started backing up to the wall, probably to get further out of sight; Ty Lee, along with everyone except Aang followed suit. He stayed out in front, holding his glider, watching the ship come closer, until Katara hissed at him to join them.

They were crowded in the darkest area against the cliff wall, hoping not to be seen, as the ship slowed down and docked at the edge of the platform were standing on. Ty Lee held her breath as the doors to the ship opened-

And out walked Sokka and a girl with auburn hair, and it was hard to make out any more distinguishing features in the dim light of the nearly set sun, but Ty Lee was certain that she looked familiar.

“Suki?” Katara gasped.

Ty Lee blinked in surprise. She had not seen any of the Kiyoshi Warriors without their garish makeup; no wonder she hadn’t realized who it was.

From the dark behind Sokka and Suki, another figure emerged; taller, a grown man, and Ty Lee was confused over who this could possibly be- but once again, Katara wasn’t. She let out a strange whimper and took off running. Just before she reached him, Ty Lee heard her cry out, “Dad!”

As Katara’s father wrapped his arms around her, Ty Lee let out her own gasp of surprise, her hands clasped together in front of her lips, moved by the display of affection before her. The others started to move forward, letting out varying cheers at the presence of these newcomers, but Ty Lee stayed still, eyes locked on the embrace between father and daughter. There were tears in her eyes well before Toph suddenly punched her arm.

“Hey, Perky, what’s with the waterworks?”

Ty Lee winced at the strike and wiped a tear that had just begun to fall. “Katara’s dad,” she said simply.

“Oh. Yeah.” Toph inhaled deeply. “I know. It was weird for me too, when we were all traveling together.”

Ty Lee nodded, though she was certain the gesture was lost on Toph. She could only imagine what it must feel like, to be hugged by her father like that. When she had returned from the Earth Kingdom, her father had greeted her with a single bow and warm smile, and told her how deeply she had been missed. It had not felt strange. He had always been like that, and Mai’s parents were much the same way, and she could only imagine that Fire Lord Ozai was probably even less affectionate.

It had never occurred to her that there was any other way.

“Whoa, what’s up with Sparky?” Toph’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

“What do you mean?” Tearing her eyes from Katara and her father, he looked to Zuko as he too exited the airship, and her eyes widened. She nearly could not see him, his aura had him so enshrouded in darkness. “ _Oh Agni_.”

“Right? Man, something is dragging him down,” Toph murmured, and Ty Lee, not for the first or last time, was thankful to have a friend who could sense when someone was so deeply off just as she could.

“Do you think we should ask him about it?” Ty Lee looked around at the others, at Sokka and Suki, at Hakoda, and frowned. Their auras were not weighed down, not like Zuko’s was. In fact, they were all bright and clear, overwhelmingly _happy_. “No one else is upset.”

Toph shook her head, and Ty Lee was so amused at the fact that she had picked up on that gesture. “Nah, I don’t want to bring down the mood. We don’t get too many moments where we’re this happy. Besides, I’m sure if it is anything big, Zuko will share with the group.”

Ty Lee was not as confident in Zuko’s ability and willingness to share his emotions with everyone, but Toph knew everyone else much better than she did. And she was right; it would be best to not quell this happiness. She had not seen so much joy in one place since she had been in the circus.

* * *

“But I thought you were fishing?”

They were seated around the fire, stew dished out (with slightly smaller portions now, but no one seemed to mind). Sokka and Suki were inseparable; he had his arm slung around her shoulders, even though this greatly hindered his ability to eat. Between him and Katara sat their father, whose name was Hakoda, Ty Lee learned.

Sokka and Zuko were starting to tell the story of how they had somehow returned with an _airship_ and Hakoda and Suki, when the Duke had piped up, questioning the letter they had left behind. Ty Lee could not help but grin at the Duke’s innocence. It was rather endearing.

“Yeah, we kind of fibbed,” Sokka said with a dismissive wave of the hand that was around Suki’s shoulders. He was so _happy_. Sure, Ty Lee had not exactly known Sokka for long, but she had not once seen him like this, so bright eyed and animated, and completely enamored at the woman at his side.

Suki had given her more than one suspicious look, which Ty Lee had tried to return with an apologetic smile. Would she ever be done with the apologies for her past actions?

But Sokka was continuing with the story. “I knew if I had told you guys we were going to a Fire Nation prison, you’d stop us.”

That was probably true.

“Why did you even decide to go anyway?” Katara asked. Just as her brother was, Katara was so sublimely happy. Content, relaxed. It did her good to have her father around.

“Well, a bit ago, Ty Lee was telling me where Suki could be held,” Sokka explained. “And then I asked Zuko about where Dad might be, and both gave me the same place, so I figured, so long as we’re so close, I should try to get them.”

Ty Lee nearly dropped her dish. “Wait. You guys went to the Boiling Rock?” Were they _insane_?

Zuko nodded to her. He was still surrounded by that darkness of his aura; she desperately wanted to know why he was so…. Angry? Depressed? It was hard to pinpoint what he was exactly feeling. “Yeah. Not the brightest plan Sokka has come up with, but I figured it was better for him to go with someone than alone, so….” He ended in a shrug, returning his focus to his stew.

It was Sokka who recounted the events that happened at the Boiling Rock, and it was a good thing, because he was a far better storyteller than Zuko ever could be. And it was a particularly riveting tale, of having no surefire way off of the island in the boiling lake, of not being certain if they would even find Hakoda, of their plans nearly being entirely foiled. But, it was when Mai, and Azula and Jet appeared that Ty Lee became transfixed.

Zuko did not reveal what he and Mai had spoken of when they were alone (“It’s personal,” he said), but she could see now that this was the source of his aura being so shadowy. And then, with the fight between Zuko and Azula, and Sokka and Suki against Jet, Ty Lee was horrified.

Azula was using Jet. It was not that she was simply keeping him close, that what had happened with Toph was her testing what could be done. No. She was forcing Jet to fight against his friends.

She felt sick, and nearly missed Sokka explaining that Mai saved them all from plunging into the boiling waters that surrounded the prison.

And that was the end of the story. No resolution for Mai. Jet was still with Azula, being controlled to do the fighting for her. A deep pang of guilt cut through Ty Lee when she wondered if this was only because she was no longer at the princess’s beck and call.

The mood of the group was still light, focusing on the positive; that they had Hakoda with them, that they had Suki. But Ty Lee’s thoughts were on her friend, on the boy that she was somewhere between friends and in a relationship with, and she felt suffocated, being surrounded by so much relief and joy.

She excused herself from the fire, for once thankful that her bedroll was separate from everyone else.

It was not as if she was upset that everyone was so happy; that was not the case at all. In fact, she was so happy that they were reunited with family and friends. That was a wonderful thing. But it felt wrong to be concerned for Mai in front of them. It felt as if she would bring everyone down, and this was not about her, not when other good things had happened.

Hours later, well after she had settled into her bedroll, Zuko entered the room they shared. Sleep had not come to her; her mind was focused on those that had been left behind. Zuko said nothing when he came in, probably thinking she was asleep.

“Hey,” she said gently, to not startle him, and sat up. “What happened to Mai?”

He let out a long breath, shaky, and sat down on his own bedroll, running a hand through his hair, pushing it out of his eyes. His words even felt heavy as he spoke. “I don’t know. There wasn’t any time to go back for her. We had to leave quickly, or lose our chance to get away at all.”

What a terrible position for Zuko to be in. She knew how much he adored Mai. Mai was the only person she had ever seen make his aura light up. It must have been devastating to leave her behind.

Of course, this only led to questions, of what possibly could have happened to Mai. There was no fooling herself that Azula would be lenient. From what Sokka had recounted, Mai had been going against Azula’s orders, something that Ty Lee could never imagine doing in her life. Undoubtedly the princess would not have taken that well.

“….She’s probably locked up there, in the Boiling Rock, isn’t she?” Ty Lee said softly. “It makes sense, she’s already there. But at least… At least her uncle is the warden. She’ll be okay. Right?”

Zuko’s expression was strange, his aura unreadable. “Yeah,” he finally agreed. “Yeah, she’ll be fine. She’s tougher than she looks.”

* * *

Everyone had retired for the night. There was only one extra bedroll and it was given to Hakoda; and this was completely fine by Sokka. Being short a sleeping bag meant that he had Suki with him, curled up against him, in his arms.

He probably should feel a little awkward that he was sharing a sleeping space with his girlfriend while his father slept just on the other side of the fire, but he couldn’t. There was simply so much relief in him that Suki was safe, and that she was with him.

She was a strong young woman, possibly stronger than he was. Maybe a year ago that would have bothered him, but not anymore. But even knowing how he compared to her, the urge to protect her and keep her safe was still strong. He had failed to keep Yue safe. He was not going to fail again.

But his thoughts were not entirely on the stunning warrior that was nestled in against his chest, fingers gently holding the fabric of his shirt in her sleep, as much as he wanted them to be.

Zuko had pulled him aside sometime after dinner had been finished, while the others cleaned up after the meal. Sokka had grumbled a little, to be pulled away from Suki. Of all people, Zuko should understand how much he wanted to be with her right now.

_“What’s this about?” he had asked. “You do realize I was finally getting some time with Suki, right?”_

_“Believe me, getting between you two is not my goal.” Zuko sounded tired. “This…. Right before we broke out, when I was still being held in a cell, it was because Mai had come. To talk to me, specifically. She had come separate from Azula.”_

_“I thought she came with her- how did she even know you were a prisoner at the Boiling Rock if she hadn’t been with Azula?”_

_“Her uncle is the warden; he told her. Probably to give her some closure.” Zuko shook his head, exhaling through his nose. Now that Sokka had a moment alone with him, he had to admit that the firebender even looked rough. “Anyway. She told me some things, concerning Azula…and Ty Lee. Azula’s mad at Ty Lee for leaving. She knows she left with me- Mai doesn’t know how, neither Ty Lee or I told anyone what we were doing, but Azula has always been frustratingly smart…. But Azula is mad. Really mad.”_

_Sokka frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “Okay, but why? I mean, your sister never really struck me as the ‘nice’ type, but from everything Ty Lee has said about her- and I know Ty Lee is convinced they’re actually good friends- it seems like Azula tolerated her more than anything else.”_

_Zuko shook his head again. “I know. But I don’t think Azula knows how to have friends. She…. She always kept Mai and Ty Lee around, but it always seemed to me that she viewed them more like tools or pawns. She likes to- to feel powerful, in control, and I guess she doesn’t like that Ty Lee has left her.”_

_“Okay….” Sokka took that in, but there were still questions. “So what does that mean? That she has it out for Ty Lee? Azula has it out for_ all _of us.”_

_“No. For Ty Lee, it’s personal.” Zuko sat down heavily on the stone floor, rubbing his forehead, as if he had a headache. “She wants to make Ty Lee like Jet.”_

_Sokka stared at Zuko, dumbfounded. “What?”_

_Zuko glanced up at Sokka. “I know.”_

_“No, really,_ what _? How- Can she even do that?”_

_“She has the Dai Li,” Zuko reminded him. “Mai seemed really freaked out by it. I don’t think it was an empty threat.”_

_Sokka plunked down next to Zuko. “Shit. This isn’t good. If she’s threatening to do it to Ty Lee, what’s to stop her from using it on others too?”_

_Azula certainly had no qualms in using Jet against them. The fight on top of the gondola against him had been treacherous. Sokka had not forgotten how much damage those tiger blades had caused, and it had been mostly luck that both he and his father had avoided those hooks._

_If anyone else was captured, it was likely she would do the same to them as she did Jet._

_“….What is wrong with your sister?” he muttered, looking up at the sky._

_“I don’t even know where to begin with answering that question,” Zuko responded dryly, earning a small snort of amusement from Sokka._

_“Okay. So what do we do with this information?”_

_“Not get captured.”_

_“That was always a secondary goal anyway,” Sokka sighed. “But seriously. Should we warn Ty Lee at least? If Azula is targeting her, it might be good to give her a head’s up.”_

_There was silence from Zuko for a moment before he shook his head. “No. I think the news will freak her out. But I do think that everyone needs to be aware that Azula is in control of the Dai Li’s brainwashing.”_

_“Makes sense. But why tell me about Ty Lee and Azula’s fixation on her?”_

_“Because she’s so desperate to save Jet,” Zuko explained. “The whole reason she left her family and everything she knew was to keep Jet safe. I’ve committed to helping Aang end this war, but I don’t know if Ty Lee is. Jet is her only goal, and she thinks Azula is still her friend. If she has the opportunity to talk to Azula and reason with her, I’m worried she might take it.”_

_Sokka raised an eyebrow at him. “And…we aren’t telling her about Azula’s desire to turn her into a puppet because…?”_

_Zuko exhaled long and loudly, and Sokka didn’t think he’d ever seen him look so worn. “Like I said, she won’t take it well. She’s so emotional, she won’t think straight. It’s likely she’d become a liability instead of any help. And…she’ll probably figure out that it’s probably happened to Mai as well.”_

_Sokka stared at Zuko, at how stiff his brow was, how tense his arms and hands were. “Shit.” Was there anything else to say? Was this how Zuko had felt when he’d told him of how Yue had become the moon spirit, so completely at a loss, because suddenly, ‘that’s rough buddy’ no longer felt like a half sarcastic reply. “Do you really think-”_

_“She turned against Azula,” Zuko cut him off. “She essentially did what Ty Lee did. If Mai didn’t manage to escape….” He let his head hang, and Sokka only just managed to hear him say, “I should have gone back for her.”_

_“If you had gone back, you would have been captured, too.” Sokka placed his hand on Zuko’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Hell, you probably would be in the same position. Then you’d never get to save her. Because we will save her, Zuko. Just like we’re going to save Jet. Just like we’re going to end this war and save the world.”_

Sokka let out a long breath through his nose and held Suki a little tighter. He would keep her safe. Nothing and no one would ever hurt her again, so long as he was around.

* * *

At breakfast the next morning, the Duke was eagerly sharing with Sokka and Zuko (and Hakoda and Suki) a greatly exaggerated retelling of Aang and Ty Lee’s sparring match from the day before.

“You guys missed the coolest fight ever!” he was gushing. “Aang was going against Ty Lee, and she was _so cool_! She would flip around and cartwheel, and just _fly through the air_ , just as high as Aang can! Aang couldn’t touch her, it was so incredible!”

Haru nudged Ty Lee in the ribs, whispering, “Sounds like someone has a crush on you.” He grinned cheekily at her as her cheeks went bright pink.

“Stop! He’s, like, five!” Ty Lee quietly protested. While it was sweet that the Duke found her to be so astounding, he was making her out to be so much more impressive than she actually was.

Obviously, Aang _did_ get a hit on her, from the bruise on her ribs that was very much visible in her current outfit. And of course she couldn’t gain as much air in a jump or a leap as an airbender; the very thought was preposterous.

And because that was where her thoughts had gone, the Duke had to end his own recount of the fight with, “She fights like an airbender! But, without the bending.”

Katara chuckled. “How many airbenders have you seen fight?”

The Duke seemed confused by the question, apparently unaware that she was teasing. “Just Aang, obviously. And you saw! She moves like he does when he’s only focusing on airbending!”

Ty Lee waved her arms, shaking her head. “It really wasn’t like that,” she clarified for those that had not been present for the sparring match. “I wasn’t chi blocking, I was only trying to get close to Aang, and he didn’t make it easy at all.”

“ _You_ weren’t making it easy!” Aang countered playfully. “I was supposed to be working on my earthbending, but you were barely touching the ground!”

Across the circle they sat in, Sokka was peering at her strangely, and Ty Lee raised an eyebrow at him. He would stare at her, then look at Zuko, then back at her, then to Aang, and back at her again.

With her head cocked slightly, she asked, “What? What is it?”

“Oh, nothing!” Sokka said quickly. “Just…. You look a lot more like Aang than you do Zuko.”

“So?”

“I’m just saying, it’s kind of interesting that you look more like an airbender than Fire Nation.”

Normally, Ty Lee did not dislike being the center of attention. But now, the way everyone was examining her and Aang and Zuko…. This made her a little uncomfortable. She enjoyed attention when she controlled it, not when she felt like she was forced onto display.

“What are you getting at?” Zuko said crossly; he, too, was apparently not exactly pleased at everyone’s eyes on him. “Suki looks more like Aang than she does Toph, and they’re both Earth Kingdom. Or are you saying that everyone from the Fire Nation looks alike?”

Sokka put his hands up in front of him, a confident smile on his lips as he said, “No, I’m just saying it’s interesting to think about.”

“….She is light on her feet, just like Twinkletoes,” Toph spoke up. “Not quite as light, though.”

“You are comfortable with heights, more than most,” Katara said, meeting Ty Lee’s eyes.

“And into all the same spiritual mumbo-jumbo as Aang,” Sokka pointed out.

What on earth was happening? Ty Lee looked to Aang for some sort of support because he had to see how ridiculous their points were. But his eyes were wide as he looked at her, as if he was finally seeing her fully for the first time.

“Are you all crazy?” Ty Lee cried. “I think I would know if I was an airbender-”

“Everyone get down!”

Aang had leapt up, brandishing his glider to send out a strong gust of wind, and the large decorative tablets that surrounded them suddenly flipped shut. Ty Lee looked about in surprise, how they were now encased in a dark room, but then there was a thunderous crash of something exploding just outside of the newly formed walls.

“What is it?” Katara was the first to ask, and Zuko produced a flame in his palm, providing more light in the room. Another thunderous boom, and the whole platform they are on shakes in a way that Ty Lee does not like.

“It was a bomb,” Aang explained, shuddering as yet another explosion happens outside of where they are.

“From another airship, I’ll bet.” Zuko’s face was harsh, his brows sharply angled down. “I’d bet anything it’s my sister; probably tracked us from the prison.”

At a fourth explosion, Toph’s eyes grew wide. “Well, whoever it is, they’re trying to bring down the whole platform! We have to go!”

Together, she and Haru earthbent a tunnel into the cliff wall for them all to escape down. Haru led the way, with Teo and the Duke just behind him. Ty Lee starts to follow, but grunts from Aang make her pause. Just outside the entrance to the tunnel, Appa’s heels dug into the ground, pushing back, even as Aang tugged on his lead, trying to reason with the bison. There was no way they were going to get him through the tunnel.

“We have to fly out, Appa hates tunnels-“

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Sokka questioned, and Ty Lee can’t help but to side with Sokka on this. Whatever was happening beyond the barrier Aang had created sounded _bad_.

“There’s no other way!” With another swing of his glider, Aang opened up the makeshift walls, revealing exactly what Zuko had said would be waiting for them:

An airship, with Azula standing at the deck. But she wasn’t alone. Beside her stood-

“Jet.” Ty Lee stared at him, and even this far away, she could see that he still was without an aura. Her chest tightened.

Behind her, she could distantly hear Katara arguing, something about not wanting to leave her father, but Ty Lee’s thoughts were elsewhere. Jet was close, so very close. When would she have another opportunity to save him? And with Azula right there, maybe… Maybe she could reason with her, to just let Jet go, that she and Jet would take no further part in this war at all. She swallowed and took in a deep breath.

She could not miss this opportunity.

As fast as her legs could carry her, Ty Lee raced across the platform, her eyes on the point where it stuck out furthest from the cliffside. This was a risky jump, she knew it; no safety net below, no one to reach out a hand to save her if she misjudged, but she could make it. She had to make it. Behind her, Zuko’s screams for her to stop reached her ears, and she could hear the pounding of feet on stone racing to catch up with her, but she did not stop. Reaching the edge of the platform, she leapt, propelling herself over the gorge and onto the airship.

It was not her most graceful landing, but she did land on her feet, skidding to a stop on the metal floor of the airship deck. When she looked at Azula, the princess met her gaze with wide eyes, and there was a strange and terrifying manic quality to them.

“Azula,” Ty Lee started to speak, but was cut off as Zuko suddenly landed right in front of her, and she let out a high groan of frustration. _No,_ this was not good! After what transpired between them at the Boiling Rock, there was no chance of talking reasonably with Azula with Zuko present!

“If it isn’t my traitorous brother and back-stabbing friend,” Azula nearly cackled out, her eyes shifting between Ty Lee and Zuko. Behind her, Jet stood stiffly, tiger blades in each hand, head angled at the ground. “Come to surrender?”

“Not a chance,” Zuko responded evenly. He still stood in front of Ty Lee, much to her frustration.

“Azula, I’m sorry!” Ty Lee stepped up to Zuko, to stand beside him, and he shifted ever so slightly so that she remained partially behind him. “I didn’t mean to hurt you-” Because she had, she could see that now, that she had hurt Azula by running off without an explanation. “-I wasn’t trying to do that at all! I only wanted- I just want Jet to be okay.”

The princess let out a short laugh, high and false and cold. “Okay? Jet is the best he has ever been.” Her face twisted into a cruel smile. “Would you like to join him?”

Zuko responded before Ty Lee could. “Not happening.”

“I’m afraid you don’t get a say in this, _brother_.” The word was spat out like venom. And Ty Lee could see the tension in Azula’s body, the tell-tale signs that she was about to firebend, but there was no time to yell a warning to Zuko-

As the fire came at them, propelled by Azula’s outstretched arm, Ty Lee flipped backward, away from the flames, as Zuko countered against them.

“Jet, bring her to me,” Azula commanded. Jet came to life immediately, moving forward. “I’ll handle my brother.”

Ty Lee did not expect Jet to move so swift; he ran, leaping over Zuko, to get to her. His eyes were locked on her, but it was horrifyingly obvious that he was not truly seeing her. He was close now, close enough that when he swung his blades at her, she had to leap back, pushing her further from Zuko.

Behind Jet, the royal siblings were fighting with fire, and Ty Lee wanted to help Zuko, because Azula was a _prodigy_ , how could he ever compete with her? But Jet’s advances and deadly strikes with his blades kept her retreating further away.

“Jet, it’s me, it’s Ty Lee!” Even as she sidestepped and dodged, she pleaded with him. She did not want to hurt him, not at all. “Please remember me! Wake up!”

He kept swinging his blades, aiming for her gut, her legs, her ankles. It was as if he were under a spell, helpless to fight against it, and really, wasn’t that fairly close to what was going on? What was done in those bedtime stories and fairy tales? Usually it was a princess under a spell that needed waking, but the roles could simply be reversed, right?

In those magical tales, it was always a kiss that woke them up.

Ty Lee mentally chided herself, knowing that this was a truly stupid idea. But it was also the only idea she had, and it was better than doing absolutely nothing. The next time Jet came close, instead of leaping backwards and far from him, Ty Lee ducked under his arm, twisting around behind him, and- and it really pained her to do this- with several well placed sharp jabs, Jet crumpled to the ground, temporarily paralyzed.

“I’m sorry!” Ty Lee immediately cried, dropping to her knees beside him, and pushed him so that he was laying on his back. There was no emotion in his face, and that was the most horrible part of all. Forcing down all the dark feelings that swirled inside of her, she brushed Jet’s hair out of his face as gently as she could, wishing that he was actually seeing her. “I’m so sorry, I hope you aren’t hurt. I just, this is the only way to do this safely.”

She forced a small smile, then leaned down, pressing her lips to his passive ones, and when she sat back up, she let out a disappointed groan. His eyes were still distant, his aura still missing.

“Come on Jet, please!” she begged, cupping his cheeks. “You have to come back! It’s me, it’s Ty Lee, we met in Shu Jing, and it was the most wonderful part of my vacation, and you just have to come back!”

Once more, she kissed him, hands still holding his cheeks. This time, as she was about to move away, his lips pushed up against hers. Letting out a gasp of relief, Ty Lee sat upright, looking down at Jet, and he was _looking_ up at her, the smallest of smiles on his lips.

“Hey Ty Lee,” he said softly, and the relief of him being okay and himself again pushed her into tears.

She grinned down at him, and gripped his hand, though she wasn’t sure if he could even feel it at all in his paralyzed state, and said, “It’s me- I’m so glad you’re back.”

“Yeah.” He swallowed, and frowned, and there was a slight bit of panic in his eyes. “I can’t move. I can’t move anything-”

“It’s okay, it’s only temporary,” Ty Lee assured him. And as much as she wanted to simply sit here with him and wait for him to regain full control of his body, they had to get moving. Rising to her feet, she said, “I’ll get you out of here-”

The words were scarcely out of her mouth that she heard that horrible roar of fire and looked over just in time to see a powerful blast of flames coming right for her. She leapt back, narrowly missing being burned. By the time her feet touched down on the metal deck again, Azula was standing between her and Jet.

Where was Zuko?

But Ty Lee could only focus on one crisis at a time, and she would think about how Zuko had probably plummeted to his death once she had Jet safely away from the princess.

“Azula, please, you don’t understand what’s been done to Jet! When he’s under, it’s like he’s-”

“Like he’s what?” Azula sneered. “Loyal? Willing to do everything that is needed? How _you_ used to be?”

Ty Lee gulped. “Listen to me, please. You have to let him go.”

“I don’t have to do anything!” Azula’s eyes were terrifying. Never before had Ty Lee seen her like this, so cold and wild, unrestrained. She had to get Jet far from her, and there was only one way. It was a risky move, a stupid decision, but so far, those decisions had worked out well for her.

With barely a running start, Ty Lee leapt forward, over Azula, to Jet-

But whatever luck had been on her side had run out. Azula, seemingly anticipating such a move, bent fire up at her in a powerful blast, propelling Ty Lee further up and backward. She screamed, flailing, reaching a hand out to grab at anything, but there was nothing, and suddenly, she was falling down, plummeting below the airship. Distantly, over her own cries, she heard Jet screaming her name, and Ty Lee knew that this was how she was going to die.

Then a hand grasped hers, yanking her over and into the saddle of the sky bison. She hit the saddle hard, knocking the air from her lungs, and she could just barely hear, over the sound of her own desperate gasps for air, Zuko berating her for going after Jet.

* * *

Jet awoke to find himself in the dungeons once again.

This was not an uncommon occurrence. Far too often, he would be in his cell, trying to sleep and then the Dai Li would come, or the princess, and they would start talking to him-

Only for him to suddenly be alone in his cell, with no one on the other side. It wasn’t difficult to figure out what was happening, but it was unnerving every time. He had grown to hate the sound of footsteps descending the stairs to where he was. Except now, he had a new memory, and interim moment of something besides this dark and musty dungeon.

Ty lee.

She had kissed him, and then he was in the sunshine and the outdoors, and it was so windy, and though he strangely enough had not been able to move a single muscle in his body, this memory was not a bad one. Because she was with him, and she had promised to get him out of wherever he was.

But then that bitch princess had appeared, and he couldn’t see Ty Lee anymore, she was too far away. There was an argument between Azula and Ty Lee, and then Ty Lee was gone.

And then he was here again.

But it all was strange. He could barely pull up a memory for _how_ he knew her, only that he did, and there were strong emotions attached to her.

Jet sighed, resting against the wall of his cell. Hopefully, this memory wouldn’t disappear either.

There was some movement in the corner of his eye, and Jet looked quickly to his right. And there, in the cell beside his, was a young woman. She was Fire Nation, by her dark hair and pale skin, such angular features. She was watching him, her face passive, almost _bored_.

“Hey,” Jet said, and it felt strange to speak to someone. He’d done so little of it recently. “I’m Jet.”

The girl sighed, looking away. “I know. Azula introduced me to you.”

“Oh. I, uh, I don’t remember it.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to.” She looked back at him. “I’m Mai.”

* * *

“You told me it was successful!”

Azula glared down at the Dai Li agents. They were stoic, unmoving, but she could tell. They were squirming inside, afraid. Good. They should be afraid.

“We believed it was, Your Highness,” one agent spoke up. “There is no measurable way to determine if a memory is fully erased.”

Unacceptable. Azula barely shifted in her seat, eyes narrowed on the two men. Fools. “Find a way,” she hissed. “He was pulled out of his hypnotic state by a non-bender simply _talking_ to him, and was able to remember her. It’s sloppy. We do not accept sloppy work here in the Fire Nation. The same mistakes that were allowed in Ba Sing Se are not tolerated here. Fix him, and then work on the next prisoner. And I expect results this time.”

The agents nodded and bowed before backing out of the room. She watched them go, not moving from her chair. This had to be perfected before she revealed this to her father. It would not do to present him with a flawed gift. This brainwashing could work well to their benefit, so long as it was fixed of the idiotic holes Long Feng had allowed to exist within its system.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! That was a long one, I think the longest chapter yet (or at least the longest since the first one), at 18 pages and over 9k words. There's just so much that I needed to fit in.
> 
> And I had to squeeze in a tiny bit of Sokka and Suki cuteness. I just adore those two.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think!


	9. Take Up Your Arms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ty Lee is confronted with the fact that Azula may not actually be her friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter has been split in half. I got completely caught up on all the character development of Ty Lee in this chapter and suddenly realized I had already hit over 7k words and 14 pages, and I hadn't even gotten to half of what I wanted to cover in this chapter. And then the chapter would be way too long (we are talking over 15k words long) so it had to be split.
> 
> I'm really mad at myself over this. I have plotted out how I want each chapter to go, but then my muse got the better of me. Hopefully I'll be able to reel things in going forward, but I only foresee this problem continuing. 
> 
> Accompanying playlist:  
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2fYMKVtqxHQtpbXJH53mdl
> 
> I make playlists to keep me inspired for the theme of my fics, and are what I listen to while I write. This playlist is for the whole of the story, not just this chapter. So if a song seems out of place, we simply haven't reached that point in the fic yet. :)

Aang was able to steer Appa well away from Azula’s airship, losing her above the clouds. The mood among everyone was a stark contrast to how light everyone had been the night before. Ty Lee tried to keep her own spirits up as Katara healed the burns on her lower calves and ankles, but it was difficult. She had been _so_ close to saving Jet. He had been there with her, talking to her-

If only she hadn’t needed to chi block him in order to get him to snap out of whatever hypnotic state he had been in.

She cast a scowl in Zuko’s direction. If he had just stayed away from Azula, she might have been able to talk to the princess. She might have been able to convince her to just let her take Jet away, but Azula got so mad at the sight of Zuko- no doubt from what had transpired at the Boiling Rock.

Zuko had scolded her for only a minute, once she was safely on the sky bison’s saddle, no longer faller to her inevitable death, and thankfully, she had been so focused on the fact that she had not died, and that her legs were burnt, that she couldn’t focus on the stupid things he had to say.

“I think you’re okay,” Katara said, pulling her hands away from Ty Lee’s legs. “The burns weren’t bad, thank goodness.”

Ty Lee examined her legs, her mood shifting as awe overcame her at just how quickly Katara had healed the burns. And she had been so focused on being irritated with Zuko that she had missed the entire process!

“Gosh, thank you!” she said earnestly, and- without thinking- leaned across and hugged Katara tightly. The waterbender was stiff in her arms, and it was only then that Ty Lee remembered that she and Katara were not exactly friends quite yet. Pulling back, she wore a sheepish grin, and whispered out, “Sorry!”

To her credit, Katara mostly seemed surprised at the interaction, and made a small excuse to check on Toph, who was clinging to Sokka’s arm like her life depended on it. No amount of coercing could convince Toph to let go of him and allow Katara to check that she was alright after earthbending so much earlier.

“You try being blind millions of feet in the air!” Toph snapped at Katara. “I’m holding onto Snoozles until we are on the ground again!”

Beside Ty Lee, Suki chuckled, and Ty Lee joined in, because it was rather endearing to watch, and anything that lightened the mood was greatly appreciated. But then Suki looked at her, and raised an eyebrow, and Ty Lee remembered she had yet to talk to Suki since she helped defeat her not far from Ba Sing Se.

Right.

“Um, hi. I’m Ty Lee.”

“We’ve met before,” Suki replied evenly.

“Oh, I know. But, we never really introduced ourselves, so I figured you might not know my name,” Ty Lee hastily explained. “And, I am sorry for capturing you and your friends. Oh, and for flirting with Sokka, but that was ages ago and I did not know he had a girlfriend.”

Suki blinked at her. “You…and Sokka?”

Sokka, having heard his name, looked their way. “What’s that?”

“It really was not anything,” Ty Lee assured Suki. “It was only, like, once or twice in Ba Sing Se, and then we were fighting, so it wasn’t like anything could happen anyway-“

“What was only once or twice?” Sokka asked, looking from Ty Lee to Suki.

“Ty Lee was telling me about how you two had something going on,” Suki replied, eyes narrowed at her boyfriend.

“Oh my gosh, _no_!” Ty Lee cried. “Nothing happened! I just thought he was cute, because he _is_ cute, and don’t think I’m interested because I’m not! I have a boyfriend!” And then, because that label seemed a little sudden, she added, “…I think.”

Beside her, Suki erupted into laughter. “I’m just teasing, I know nothing happened with you guys.” She looked at Sokka, only fondness in her eyes. “He’s too much of a sap to ever cheat on me.”

Across the saddle, Sokka let out a long exhale. “Oh thank goodness.”

“You really think my brother is cute?” Katara was looking at Ty Lee with an eyebrow raised, and Sokka let out a defensive, “Hey!”

Ty Lee shrugged. “Yeah. I mean, I think a _lot_ of people are cute. I think Zuko’s cute too.” She caught herself just in time, for she nearly added that he had been much cuter before Ozai had disfigured him. That would not have been a nice thing to say.

“….What?” Now Zuko was giving her a look that matched Katara’s. “But you never flirted with me.”

“That’s because Mai actually _like-_ liked you. I didn’t want her to think she had competition.” Everyone was giving her strange looks, and she rolled her eyes. “This isn’t that strange! Just because someone is cute doesn’t mean I’m interested. The only person I am interested in is Jet.”

And with that, her smile faded a little.

“Hey, Zuko,” Aang called from his perch on Appa’s head. “Any ideas of where we should be headed, to hide out?”

Zuko, apparently, needed almost no time to consider the options. “Ember Island. I know a place there.”

Ty Lee gave Zuko a curious look, but he didn’t notice as he moved to the front of the saddle to give Aang directions. It seemed a little counter productive to both go closer to the Fire Nation capital as well as a tourist hotspot if they were trying to hide out, but then again, Zuko probably had a plan.

* * *

The plan, it seemed, was to hide out at his family’s old vacation house.

They arrived midday, and as they touched down on the ground in the private courtyard of the spacious vacation home, Ty Lee was not prepared for the wave of nostalgia to wash over her. She had been to the royal family’s vacation home exactly once, and while weeds had sprouted up in the cracks of the courtyard and there were vines creeping up the outer walls, it was very much nearly as she remembered it.

Rooms were claimed. Sokka and Suki snagged one, Aang dubbed Zuko as his new roommate (much to Zuko’s apparent confusion), and so, Katara, Toph and Ty Lee were to share another. And really, Ty Lee was _so_ excited. This was going to be just like a slumber party! Except they were older, and the likelihood of staying up late and braiding each other’s hair was highly unlikely. But still! If Ty Lee knew one thing, it was that, with the exception of campfires on the beach, the very best way to bond with girl friends was by sharing a sleeping space.

Of course, it just so happened that the room that Katara had chosen for them was Azula’s.

It was tidy, with nothing of sentimental value to be found, just as Ty Lee remembered it. There was only the large bed, a wardrobe, and a small chest that should hold toys, but knowing Azula, it probably was empty. Azula was so practical that way. She never held onto anything.

Sitting down on the bed as Toph stretched out on the floor to finally allow Katara the chance to examine her wound, Ty Lee let out a quiet sigh, her thoughts drifting back to that morning and her altercation with Azula.

Azula seemed…off. Not in control. Yes, that was it, she wasn’t entirely in control of her emotions. It was strange, and it was concerning, and Ty Lee couldn’t help but to wonder how much her absence was playing a role in that.

“Toph, you really shouldn’t have used your bending like that.” Katara’s scolding pulled Ty Lee from her thoughts. “Your muscles need time to heal.”

“I didn’t have much of a choice,” Toph argued back. “Or did you already forget that Azula was trying to blow us off the cliff?”

“We had Haru- and Aang! They could have handled the tunnel.” Katara pulled her hands back from Toph’s stomach. “You’re lucky, the damage isn’t too bad. But if you keep earthbending like that, you won’t ever fully heal. Those hooks did a number on you.”

“Don’t remind me. I swear, whenever Jet is back with us, I’m metalbending his tiger blades into spoons. See if he can disembowel anyone that way.”

“I’m sure Jet didn’t want to hurt you,” Ty Lee spoke up, feeling the need to defend him in his absence.

“Well duh,” Toph said flatly. “Jet and I never had any beef. That psychopath made him do it.”

Ty Lee grimaced at the particular name Toph had called Azula, and turned her gaze to the floor. It was becoming more and more difficult to defend Azula’s actions. But maybe she was just…scared. Being trapped in some bunker with the Avatar and an earthbender and another enemy, all without the ability to firebend. Azula knew some martial arts, but it wasn’t as if she had ever trained with the blade, like Zuko apparently had.

Yeah. That made sense. Azula had been scared, and panicked, and had used the only weapon she had at her disposal. It was merely unfortunate that Jet happened to be that weapon.

“Hey.” To Ty Lee’s surprise, it was Katara that spoke, pulling her out of her thoughts. She was watching her closely, something close to concern in her eyes. “Are you doing okay? I mean, having to fight Azula like that. I was surprised that you went after her at all, to be honest.”

Ty Lee blinked. They thought- “Oh, no, no it wasn’t like that at all,” Ty Lee assured Katara with a wave of her arms. “No, I saw Jet, and I thought that I could maybe talk to her, get her to let Jet go. I’m pretty sure I could have, if Zuko hadn’t followed me.”

She slumped forward, chin in hand, resting her elbow on her crossed knees.

“What do you mean?”

“Azula would be pretty mad at Zuko, after…how things apparently went down at the Boiling Rock. She doesn’t….” Ty Lee considered her words. “She doesn’t like losing. Zuko is probably an enemy of the state right now, since he almost killed his dad on the way. She probably wanted to make her dad proud by capturing Zuko, but he got away. So, when she saw him with me, I think she just…reacted poorly. She attacked me, her best friend.”

She let out a long sigh, and there was a strange silence from Toph and Katara. Glancing at them, she frowned. Both were wearing similar expressions of disbelief. “What?”

“Don’t take this the wrong way,” Toph started before Katara could open her mouth, “but you’re _sure_ that is why Azula attacked you on the airship? Because of Zuko following you? Because I seem to remember her throwing bombs at us _before_ you guys went after her.”

“I didn’t go after her,” Ty Lee reminded her. “And Azula didn’t know I was with you guys. I didn’t tell anyone where I was going, didn’t leave a letter or anything. She had no reason to think I was where the bombs were being thrown. I’m her best friend. She wouldn’t actually try to kill me, she was just so angry at Zuko that she wasn’t thinking straight. I’m sure without Zuko there, I could have reasoned with her, and Jet would be free.”

Katara sat back on her heels, either done with healing Toph, or merely pausing. “If you’re so sure that you can reason with her, why didn’t you just do that in the first place? Why leave with Zuko and join us?”

“Oh.” Ty Lee was unprepared for such a question, and she thought back, to when she first started talking to Zuko about keeping Jet safe, how she felt that she couldn’t talk to Azula about it. But that was so close to when Azula had first seen Jet under, and there had been the feeling of something greater being worked out in the princess’s mind, and it felt so scary. Now it didn’t. Now Ty Lee could see a little more clearly. “It was just…easier to try to warn Jet than explain to Azula. She didn’t- she hadn’t listened to me initially. I had tried to tell her what had happened to Jet when he was put into that weird hypnotic state, and I thought it might be easier to make sure he just never ran into her again.”

“What do you mean?” Katara pushed, but it did not feel combative, only curious, confused. “What happened to Jet?”

With a small wrinkle of her nose at the memory, Ty Lee lifted her head up and shifted to face them a little better. “Back when you guys were at Fire Fountain City, Azula and I came by to find Jet. She knew all about the hypnosis and I didn’t believe her and she wanted to find out if it was real or not, and she told me that Jet was possibly a danger to us and that we had to do this to find out. And…we found Jet- well, I found Jet, and Azula had told me the phrase that would make him go under and I said it- and I really thought nothing was going to happen- and then he….” She swallowed. “His aura disappeared, completely. He had no aura.”

“Is that bad?” Toph asked.

Of course it was! How could there be any question? But, judging my Katara’s questioning look, it was not obvious.

“Every living creature has an aura,” she explained. “Babies, animals, people. When Jet’s been triggered by that phrase, his aura vanishes, like he isn’t alive.”

A new silence settled into the room, broken only by Toph swearing softly.

“That’s…. That’s horrible,” Katara uttered, her voice quiet, and Ty Lee could only nod in agreement. It was horrible.

“Wait.” Toph sat upright. “Wait. Azula had _you_ do it? Did she know you liked Jet?”

“Well, yeah, I was really excited to tell everyone about Jet when I got home-”

“That’s messed up. She knew you liked Jet, and that Jet liked you, and she made _you_ put him under hypnosis? That’s really, really messed up.”

“I mean, it _had_ to be me,” Ty Lee explained, the gears in her head turning to try to absolve Azula of this crime Toph was trying to pin on her. “Azula said that Jet might know who she was, and then we might not find out if he had lied to me, and that if he was lying, we should find out why because she seemed to think he wasn’t here for good reasons-“ Which, Azula had been very correct about- “I know how it sounds _now_ , but…. Azula was looking out for me. She wanted to make sure I didn’t get hurt.”

“Doesn’t sound like it.” Katara had folded her arms over her chest. “It sounds like Azula already had known who Jet was, and used you to get close to him.”

Ty Lee narrowed her eyes. “You don’t know what you’re talking about; you don’t even know Azula.”

“I know she tracked us all over the Earth Kingdom,” Katara spat out. “I know she tried to- and nearly did- kill Aang. I know she just tried to kill all of us this morning, and that she tried to kill my brother at the Boiling Rock. I know that she forced our friend to nearly kill Toph, and then kidnapped him. Don’t tell me I don’t know her. I know enough. The only thing I don’t know is how you can still defend her.”

The words were hurtful, accusatory. Ty Lee stood up, eyes narrowed and pointed at the floor. “She’s my _friend_. Friends don’t turn their back on each other.”

Unwilling to listen to another word, she left the room. Before she even knew where she was going, Ty Lee found herself outside, in the courtyard. Appa was dozing on the other side of the empty fountain, but otherwise, it was uninhabited.

And Ty Lee realized she did not know what to do with herself.

There was no denying that she was currently upset. No, upset was not the right word; she was angry, and in a strange way, she was lonely. A harsh frown cut across her face as she pinpointed her emotions. It was not fair for them to judge her. They weren’t friends with the princess, they did not know just how complicated it was to have a relationship of any kind with her. Only Zuko understood, maybe; but then again, no. Ty Lee was certain now, thinking about things that Zuko had said, that he harbored no friendly emotions towards his sister.

She was wandering the courtyard, and upon this thought, had reached Appa. Letting out a groan, Ty Lee slumped backward against the sky bison, who merely let out a snort at the contact.

“I miss Mai,” she bemoaned, as if Appa understood her. And she did, she really, truly did. While their friendship was strange and possibly strained due to Azula’s presence and they couldn’t fully trust each other, Mai would understand what Ty Lee was feeling right now. Even if Ty Lee were never to let out all the complicated emotions for her to hear, Mai would just know what was going on and be a soothing presence.

Of course, the outside world probably wouldn’t understand how Mai could be soothing, but there was a solidarity between them. Just being there, physically, was a comfort.

But Mai was probably in a prison somewhere, just as alone and lonely as Ty Lee was. She drew her legs up to her chest, resting her chin upon her knees. “I don’t even know what I’m doing here.”

Appa let out a grunt, and Ty Lee leaned forward to peer at him with a raised eyebrow. It almost felt like that was a response to her whining.

Well, maybe Appa could be a substitute for Mai. Why not? She had no one else to talk to.

“I’m not here for the same reasons as Zuko- or any of them,” she started, feeling a little silly about talking to the beast, but he was quiet, so maybe he was a good listener after all. “I mean, sure, it would be great for the war to end, and I _do_ think it would be best for Aang to win the war because, I mean, he’s so nice and great, you know? And Ozai doesn’t seem too nice. I mean, I know Zuko told him off, but he tried to _kill_ him, and he’d burned his face, and he’s really hard on Azula, so he can’t be the good guy in all of this. But, this isn’t really my fight.”

She tilted her head, letting her cheek rest upon her knees. Appa was a good listener, she decided. It felt good to let this all out to someone.

“I just wanted to warn Jet. And I didn’t want to upset Azula. I thought…. I thought I’d be able to warn Jet and get him to stay far away from anywhere Azula was going to be, and then I’d go home maybe. I mean, because Jet probably wouldn’t want to date me if he hates the Fire Nation so much, since I…did help bring the Earth Kingdom to its knees. He’s probably going to hate me for that. But I mean, it’d still be worth it. I’d rather he be free and hate me, then not know and be…how he is.”

Appa let out another grunt, a small one this time.

“Maybe I should leave. I could go to Azula now and explain why she shouldn’t still have Jet. She just doesn’t understand what it does to him. Once I tell her, she’ll definitely let him go, right? I’ll explain and maybe she’ll let me take Jet and just…go. We won’t be a part of the war, we could go far away…. Like to the colonies! I could go back to the circus….”

The circus. That was such a nice time.

“I miss flying.”

“You can fly?”

Ty Lee’s eyes went wide as she scrambled forward, looking around Appa to see who had spoken. Aang was standing on the other side of the sky bison, his head cocked slightly. Panic rose inside her.

“How long have you been standing there?” she tried to ask casually. How much had he _heard_?

“A couple of minutes? I heard you talking to Appa, and I didn’t want to interrupt, because it sounded like you needed to get that all off your chest,” Aang said apologetically, rubbing the back of his neck. “I know it was rude to overhear, I didn’t really mean to.”

Ty Lee took in a deep breath. Okay. Aang did not seem mad, and that was a good sign. “….What did you hear?”

Aang had a sheepish look on his face as he said, “That you want to…go talk to Azula. And that you want to go back to the circus, and that you miss flying.”

Oh _shoot_. Why did he have to hear that part? “I wouldn’t tell Azula _anything_ about you guys,” she said quickly, assuring Aang as best she could. “I know not to do that. I would just be going to talk to her about Jet, but I don’t think I’m going to. I would like to, but I won’t.”

“I didn’t think you would,” Aang replied. “And I am glad that you aren’t going to, but…what did you mean about flying? Can you fly?”

And his concerned look had faded away into an excited grin, and his eyes were large and bright, and suddenly Ty Lee realized that he was thinking back to the conversation around breakfast.

“No. No, I can’t fly. It would probably be loads of fun to, but I meant how it felt when I was swinging on the trapeze,” Ty Lee explained. “The way I’d soar through the air and do flips; it was as close to flying as I’ve ever been, and I loved it. It was a lot of fun.”

“Oh.” It was Aang’s turn to lean against Appa in a dejected manner. He slid down to a sitting position. “I was just thinking a lot about breakfast, and all the points everyone made.”

She crouched in front of him. “Aang, I’m not an airbender. I know everyone was poking fun at me about that, but I’m not. I’m not any kind of bender.”

“No, I know,” Aang said with a frown. “I don’t think you could hide it if you were. But…. I don’t think Sokka was completely wrong.”

Ty Lee opened her mouth to explain that, no, Sokka was definitely wrong, because she was definitely Fire Nation, but Aang quickly continued.

“Hear me out, okay? It’s just, it never made much sense to me, that every single Air Nomad- except for me- was killed a hundred years ago. I know we did not have an army or military of any kind, but that doesn’t mean they had no way of surviving. So much of my training was about avoiding conflict, to be quick and clever and simply try to get away. That’s how we all were taught. And, it makes sense to me that some had to have gotten away, and hid among all the other nations.”

Okay, that did make sense. It never had occurred to Ty Lee, in all the years she had learned about Fire Lord Sozin utilizing the comet to wipe out the Air Nomads, that it could have been possible for some to survive. However, looking at Aang and his tattoos, there was an obvious problem to his theory.

“But how could they hide their tattoos?” Ty Lee pointed out. “They’re so obvious.”

Aang shrugged. “I’ve hidden them. I was able to hide them in parts of the Earth Kingdom, and all throughout the Fire Nation. Besides, most Air Nomads didn’t get tattoos as young as I did. You have to master all seven forms of airbending, and most didn’t until they were nearly sixteen, some even later. None of my friends had their tattoos when I left.”

Ty Lee shifted into a sitting position, her back straight with her hands on her knees. This was falling more into place, but she was still struggling to put herself into this theory that Aang was building. “And you think…that my great-grandparents were Air Nomads that survived?

“I think it’s possible,” he clarified. “I mean, you don’t _look_ Fire Nation. You remind me a bit of a friend I had, I mean, you look a little like her. And the Duke wasn’t exaggerating when he was talking about how you fight. You move more like airbender. I think that’s why I struggled against you. I never had to fight an airbender before.”

For a moment, Ty Lee said nothing, letting his words sink in. Even though her initial reaction was to just reject this idea, there was sense to it. It was not lost on her that she _did_ look different from others in the Fire Nation; she and her sisters had been teased for a number of reasons (almost all for being identical), but one of which was for how large their eyes were, how round their faces were.

But all her life, she had always been Fire Nation. Just Fire Nation. And yes, she had been the ‘odd’ one in her classes, never serious enough or quiet enough, and her teachers had always thought her and her sisters to be so peculiar for that, because Fire Nation students did not speak out of turn. And she had interests that no one else seemed to care much for, no one except for Aunt Ya, who had encouraged everything that had set her apart.

“So…what does this mean?” She looked at Aang, not sure what to make of this conclusion. “If I am- and I’m totally not saying that I am- it’s not like, I mean…. I don’t feel a connection to it. I’m sorry if that makes you sad or anything, but, like, I never even thought this was a possibility until right now.”

Aang shook his head. “It doesn’t make me sad. If anything, it gives me hope. Because if you are, that means that Air Nomads found a way to survive. And if they did here, then they did elsewhere, and there are others who are part Air Nomad. It means my people made it.”

Ty Lee smiled a little at that. Aang truly seemed so uplifted by the thought, and it was a nice one. “I’m glad that it makes you happy,” she said. “It would be nice to know for certain, I guess, but there’s really no way of knowing. I mean, if anyone in my family knew that we were part Air Nomad, I’m sure they would have told me by now.”

“Right.” Aang slumped a little again, only for an instant later to leap to his feet. “Wait! Your aunt, the one you told me about! You said that she almost told you something about an ancestor, right? About surviving the war?”

“What about her?”

“Well, if she knows about your family history, wouldn’t she know if there were any Air Nomads in it!” Aang was nearly grinning with excitement. “You could ask her about it! I mean, you know, after I’ve defeated the Fire Lord.”

His smiled had faded as he reached the end of that sentence, and his aura had darkened slightly. So, if only to perk him up again and brighten up his aura, Ty Lee nodded.

“Yeah. Yeah, I could do that. And you could even come with me. I bet Aunt Ya would love to meet you.”

The effect was instantaneous. Any negative emotions that had been around Aang ebbed away, leaving his aura clear and warm and bright.

* * *

The first night on Ember Island was a strange one. Ty Lee knew she should be grateful to be able to share a room with Katara and Toph, but the air between them was tense. They had not returned to their conversation from earlier, and neither bender had apologized to Ty Lee (and neither had Ty Lee, but she was very firm in her belief that she had done absolutely nothing wrong and therefor did not need to apologize).

And it was weird to be in Azula’s room without the princess present. It felt wrong. It felt invasive, and she had nearly yelled at Katara to stop prying when she had peeked into the wardrobe earlier. There had been nothing of interest in there, of course; just a couple of outfits, now far too small for anyone present to wear. Still, it was Azula’s wardrobe. Her privacy should be respected.

Ty Lee was the first of the three to rise in the morning, and she was pleasantly greeted by a stunning sunrise, not unlike the one she and Zuko had enjoyed together the last time she had been on Ember Island. Zuko, of course, was already awake, as was Aang and, surprisingly, Suki. Ty Lee had thought that, perhaps, being Sokka’s girlfriend, she would enjoy sleeping in as well.

Or maybe it was more of a case of opposites attracting each other.

It was also surprising that Suki was well acquainted with yoga and had a morning regime that was fairly similar to Ty Lee’s. This made for a more enjoyable routine, with Suki giving her pointers on how to hold herself to better strengthen her abdominal muscles, and Ty Lee making suggestions to improve flexibility. Once their morning exercises were complete, Ty Lee finally had the opportunity to formally apologize to Suki. She accepted it easily, nearly as easily as Aang had, and had been open to a hug at the end.

That felt good. That felt like true friendship and sisterhood. Maybe Suki could be a temporary fill in for Mai.

The morning passed by…weirdly. Katara was still rough around the edges with her, and Ty Lee could not get a good enough read on Toph to know if she was also still prickly from their argument. The earthbender was blunt and to the point, but also not overly talkative, and Ty Lee did not want to engage with her until she knew where she stood.

So, while Aang trained with Zuko, and Sokka made up for lost time Suki, and Katara and Toph bickered lightly about how much earthbending she could do, Ty Lee hung back, and just took it all in, and tried to figure out a plan for moving forward.

Apparently, she wasn’t the only one thinking ahead. During lunch, Zuko prompted everyone with what was actually a fairly important question:

“So what’s the plan for taking out my father?”

If he felt uncomfortable from all the stares he received, Zuko didn’t show it.

“Um, the invasion _was_ the plan,” Aang responded, frowning slightly.

“You mean you haven’t thought about what you’re going to do next? You didn’t have a backup plan?”

“Honestly, no,” Sokka cut in. “The invasion plan was fool proof. I’m still not really sure how the Fire Lord found out about it.”

“Oh! That really nice and silly king in Ba Sing Se, he told us,” Ty Lee explained cheerily. “When Azula, Mai, and I were posing as the Kiyoshi Warriors.”

Sokka slapped his forehead and groaned. “Seriously? And he didn’t tell us when we got him out of Ba Sing Se?”

“I guess he forgot,” Ty Lee said with a shrug.

“Can we focus on the current issue?” Zuko cut in, sounding exasperated already. “So we need a new plan. Do you have any ideas?”

There was a moment of silence as everyone seemed to be thinking.

“Well, I guess we could just do it how we got to the Earth King,” Aang suggested. Katara vocalized that she felt that idea was possibly a good one.

“Okay, great, what did you guys do?” Zuko pressed.

“We came flying in on Appa,” Sokka said. “Straight to the palace, and then we just fought our way through until we reached the throne room. Toph threw some rocks, Katara used her waterbending, Aang did a little of everything.”

Suki looked up at her boyfriend. “And what did you do?”

“I was a master with my boomerang _and_ I was the one that found the throne room,” Sokka replied a little defensively. Suki didn’t seem bothered by the tone; she only let out a small giggle, and murmured something encouraging to him.

Zuko, however, appeared to be less than impressed by the plan. “…And you think this will work against the Fire Lord…why?”

“Well, we have you, to help us figure out how to find the Fire lord,” Aang pointed out.

“And Perky over there can immobilize anyone who gets in our way,” Toph added in.

Ty Lee’s cheeks went a little pink at the nickname (really, she loved it, it made her feel a little closer to being actually friends with all of them), but was quickly shaking her head. “I’m not going with you guys to fight the Fire Lord.”

Now all eyes were on her. Even Zuko was staring at her as if she had grown another head.

“Look, I’m fully supportive of what you guys are doing,” she said quickly, “but I just- it doesn’t feel right, actually taking part to fight against my country. I won’t fight for the Fire Nation, but I won’t fight against it either.”

If she had thought that Katara was cold to her before, she had never yet been privy to _this_ reaction from her. Her blue eyes had narrowed on her, icy and angry. “Then why on earth are you even here?” the waterbender demanded.

Was she deaf? “Um, to help Jet,” Ty Lee snapped back. “I’ve been upfront about this from the beginning! I came because I thought that I could warn Jet, but he was already gone and I couldn’t go back home. And I-“

Ty Lee glanced at Aang, and offered him an apologetic look.

“I know I said earlier that I wouldn’t, Aang, but I think I need to go back to Caldera, and get Jet on my own. I think I might be able to reason with Azula now-”

She couldn’t even finish her statement. Katara and Toph exploded with words at the same time, boiling down to the fact that they did not think that Ty Lee should go anywhere. Aang looked a little crestfallen (or was it concerned?), while Sokka was giving Zuko a strange look that Zuko did not see, for his eyes were narrowed on Ty Lee.

“You are not going back to Azula,” Zuko said firmly once Katara and Toph had gotten their yelling out of their systems.

Ty Lee flinched a little at his tone, and her brow furrowed as she met his gaze. “I know where I’m needed. Jet needs me, and I’m going to get him.”

“No, you’re not.”

Anger surged up in her. It was not an emotion Ty Lee felt often; life was too short to spend it angry at others. But right now, Zuko was pissing her off! “I am! If anyone can get through to Azula, it’s _me_. She’ll listen to me, and she’ll let Jet go-”

“No, she won’t!” Zuko thundered. “She’s not your friend! Azula does not care about you, Ty Lee!”

Everyone else had gone quiet, merely watching the argument between them.

Ty Lee felt as if Zuko had slapped her with those words. Shaking her head, she pushed back. “She does! We’re best friends, and you don’t know anything about that! Azula _is_ my friend, and she _does_ care about me!”

“ _No_. Listen to me. Azula doesn’t care about you _at all_. She would toss you aside if it fit her needs-”

“You don’t know her!” Ty Lee cut him off, shouting over him, unable to believe the cruel things he was forcing on her.

“I don’t—She’s my _sister_ , Ty Lee!”

“And you were away for three years! She’s different-”

“She’s _worse_.”

Ty Lee glared up at Zuko. He had gotten to his feet, but had not come closer to her. He took in a deep breath, clearly trying to cool his own frustrations, and continued, “Azula has _never_ cared about you or your needs. _Never_.”

There were no words to describe how Zuko was making her feel, pushing this horrible idea upon her, and it was wrong, it was all lies! Azula was her friend. Her best friend. Her best friend since childhood. “She’s the princess, Zuko. She- her needs are more important.”

Distantly, she heard someone- Toph? Suki?- mutter out a curse in disbelief.

“No, they aren’t,” Zuko shook his head. “You have always put her on a pedestal, more than was ever warranted, and Azula took advantage of that. Just- think back, to when you came to me, with your concerns for Jet. I’m the prince, the _crown_ prince of the Fire Nation. I did not brush you aside; I changed my plans to _include_ you.”

“But-”

“And then, back at the air temple, when you started crying because you realized Azula already had Jet, Aang didn’t ignore you. He’s the Avatar- he’s more important than anyone else in the entire world- and he was still able to comfort you! He put your needs first in that moment, and you know why? Because that’s what real people do. That’s what friends do! You have been a loyal friend to Azula, but she sure as Agni has never been your friend.”

Ty Lee swallowed. “It’s not like that,” she argued, but quietly, her voice losing its power. “Azula cares about me.”

Zuko folded his arms over his chest. “Is that why she tried to kill you when you initially refused to leave the circus?”

Her eyes widened. How had he known- _Mai_. Of course it had been Mai, to share what Ty Lee had told her in confidence. She swallowed.

“Did she- did she really?”

It was Katara who asked. Any anger she had once felt was gone from her eyes, and there was only surprise and disbelief.

“No, no, you’re getting the wrong idea,” Ty Lee hastily explained. “She just- she got a little too enthusiastic in trying to convince me to leave the circus. She wasn’t actually trying to hurt me, Azula knows how good I am at acrobatics, she knew I’d be okay!”

“….What did she do?” Toph asked, and Ty Lee shrank a little. They definitely wouldn’t understand this part, because they did not know Azula.

“She…simply had ideas on how to make my performance more exciting.”

Zuko cut in, apparently fed up with Ty Lee dancing around the subject. “She had all the circus animals set loose in the tent while she was performing, and lit the safety net on fire.”

Across from her, Sokka sat up a little straighter, swearing quietly.

But it was Aang that spoke next. “Is that what you meant, back when we first met, when you said that you couldn’t say no to her?” he asked.

Slowly, she nodded. “Azula only did that because she really, really needed my help, and I did say no at first, so she had to-”

She stopped, for Aang had stood up. He walked over to her, his brow tightly knotted, and only concern in his eyes. “Ty Lee,” he said gently, taking a seat beside her. “It sounds like….Azula forced you to do something you didn’t want to do. You were telling me just yesterday how much you missed the circus. You wouldn’t have left if she hadn’t done all that, would you?”

Ty Lee bit her lip, and after a moment, shook her head.

“Everything you’ve said about Azula doesn’t make her sound very nice, not even to you. I can’t imagine ever doing anything like that to anyone. It doesn’t sound like friendship.”

“We’re all here because we want to be,” Toph spoke up. “I get it. You probably didn’t have many friends were you were little, just the princess and that crazy knife girl-” Toph, of course, completely missed the small glare Zuko shot at her then. “- And that’s your only basis for friendship. I didn’t have any friends until these guys, and I struggled at first. But I gotta tell you, this is real friendship. The psycho princess trying to control you? That’s not friendship.”

“Exactly.” Surprisingly, it was Katara now, gently pushing the same ideal. “We are all friends, and we are all here because we want to be. And, I know that, if for some reason one of us wanted to back out and leave, none of us would stop them.”

“…So then why am I being stopped?” Ty Lee asked, looking from one person to the next. “Look, I understand what you’re all saying, but I know Azula. I can get through to her, I can-”

Sokka let out an exasperated groan. “She’s going to brainwash you! That’s why you can’t leave, because you’ll end up just like Jet!”

Another bout of silence came over the group. Zuko was glaring daggers at Sokka. “I thought we agreed to keep quiet on that!”

“What, what?”

Ty Lee looked quickly from Sokka to Zuko, not certain she had heard Sokka correctly, but not positive what else he could have possibly said. Sokka only shook his head, and gestured to Zuko. “You better explain this one.”

Zuko exhaled loudly through his nose, pinching his temple. “At the Boiling Rock, when Mai and I were in cell together, before Azula arrived, she told me….” He shook his head, apparently struggling to come to terms with this as well. “She told me that Azula had built whatever contraption the Dai Li uses to brainwash people. And that Azula’s mad. Madder than Mai had ever seen her, and that she’s mad at you, Ty Lee, for ‘betraying’ her. She wants to use the device on you, to brainwash you, as punishment.”

At the thought of being rendered so…void of everything, Ty Lee’s jaw had begun to tremble, and she bit down, to keep the threat of tears at bay. This…. How could this be true? Swallowing, she called out, “Toph? Is he…. Is he telling the truth?”

Toph had said she could tell when someone was lying. She needed Toph to tell her no, that Zuko had made it all up to scare her, that-

“Yeah. Yeah, it’s the truth.”

She took in a sharp breath, and shut her eyes. No. Azula was her friend. Azula was her best friend, had been since they were small children. But as much as she tried to tell herself this, she could not deny that this was perfectly in character for the princess.

But…

Looking up, she set her eyes on Zuko. “But Mai betrayed Azula,” she said quickly. “At the Boiling Rock, she betrayed Azula, just as much- no, more than I did. You said she allowed you to escape.”

Zuko held her gaze for a moment, then gave one single nod.

Her breath quickened, ever so slightly. “Did she- could she have escaped?”

His words were heavy, so heavy that she could feel the weight of them and the weight of that awful darkness in his aura that had been present ever since he had returned from the Boiling Rock. “No.”

It was then that Ty Lee broke down in tears. If Azula was willing to do _that_ to her for simply running off, it terrified her to think of what might be in store for Mai. Hugging her knees to her chest, she buried her face in her arms, and just sobbed for her friend, and for the friendship she thought she’d had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Ty Lee is starting to come around to the fact that Azula might be a little bit of a vindictive bitch. 
> 
> (I've got no hate for Azula in this house; she is one of my favorite characters. But bitch be cray)
> 
> Sorry for the lack of Jet in this chapter. With where it made sense to end things, it did not make sense to squeeze him in. He'll be back in the next chapter, promise!
> 
> Please let me know what you think, I'd really love any sort of feedback!


	10. We Will Arise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ty Lee goes on a life changing field trip with Aang, and Azula does some things she cannot take back.

The possibility of discussing a plan to take on the Fire Lord was put abruptly on hold as Ty Lee dissolved into tears. Sokka couldn’t be certain if the tears were based on the fate of her friend, or what Azula had planned for her, or the realization that Azula was possibly the shittiest friend in the history of the world, or a combination of all three. One thing he did know was that he had no idea how to handle her meltdown and was thankful that he was sitting as far as possible from her.

Luckily, Aang, who had moved beside her before she had started to cry, put his arm around her, doing his best to soothe her. Good. Someone needed to, and he seemed to have the best connection with her out of anyone, maybe even more than Zuko.

A gentle nudge at his side had him glancing down at Suki, who motioned toward the house. Right. She was so damn smart. Truly, he was a lucky guy to have such a beautiful, strong, and empathetic woman. However, now was not the time to sit and think about all of Suki’s lovely qualities. He stood, and when Katara looked at him, he made a similar gesture, and slowly, the rest of the group left Aang and Ty Lee in the courtyard.

Once the doors to the Fire Lord’s vacation home shut (and _man_ , it was weird to think that this was where they were hiding out, of all places), there was a collective exhale from the group.

“Man,” Suki said, glancing back at the door, as if she could see Ty Lee through the wood paneling, “she’s got a lot to work through.”

“I can’t believe Azula was _that_ mean to her,” Katara agreed quietly. “I mean, obviously Azula isn’t a good person, but I didn’t think she would treat her friends so horribly.”

Zuko scoffed. “Azula was never nice to her, or to Mai. Ty Lee is just too loyal, too trusting; she never would have seen it on her own.”

“You should have heard her yesterday,” Toph spoke up. “She was telling Katara and I how Azula made her be the one to force Jet under her control, and she made up every excuse in the book for why Azula was justified in doing so. It was like she _couldn’t_ admit that Azula had used her.”

“I mean, _yeah_.” Sokka slid his arm around Suki’s shoulders. “You saw how hard it was to get through to her just then. She wasn’t willing to listen to anything anyone said until it was spelled out for her that Azula actually wants to hurt her!”

“And I thought we agreed _not_ to tell her that,” Zuko angrily pointed out. “I told you this was going to be the end result. Now she’s just a crying mess instead of being helpful!”

“She wasn’t going to be helpful anyway, remember? She was going to leave us and go wandering straight into the badger-lion’s den! At least this way she isn’t going to be forced into betraying _us_.”

Zuko looked as if he might punch something, but then again, that might just be his neutral state.

“So when were you going to tell us about Azula’s brainwashing plans?” Toph put in. “I don’t know about you guys, but I think that’s pretty important to know.”

“We were going to tell you guys yesterday,” Sokka sighed. “But then Azula attacked, and we ended up here; we got distracted. Sorry.”

Katara was looking at Zuko with the first soft expression Sokka had seen her give him. “Is that why you…went after Ty Lee yesterday, when Azula showed up? To protect her?”

The firebender nodded. “Ty Lee didn’t know the danger she was getting herself into. She’s….. Look, I’ve known her for most of my life, and yeah she’s annoying at times, but she also is just…really nice. And she’s my girlfriend’s best friend. Mai would kill me if anything happened to her, I’m sure.”

Something clicked for Suki- so clever! Sokka had the cleverest girlfriend!- and her eyes widened at Zuko. “Mai- the girl with the knives, she’s your girlfriend?” And without waiting for a response from Zuko, she continued, “You implied that Azula might have…done to her what she wants to do to Ty Lee.”

“Shit.” The curse came from Toph, and if they weren’t speaking of such sensitive topics, Katara might have scolded her.

Zuko looked away, folding his arms over his chest. “….I don’t know. It’s likely. Really likely.”

“We’re going to save her,” Sokka reminded Zuko of the promise he’d made the night they’d returned from the Boiling Rock.

“I know.” Zuko turned to face them again. “But in order to do that, we need a plan, to take out the Fire Lord-“

He stopped, as the door opened, and Aang stepped inside. “Hey,” he said, “so Ty Lee and I are going to go take a little trip. We shouldn’t be gone long.”

“A trip?” Katara repeated. “Where? Why?”

Aang grimaced, apparently already preparing for a disagreement. “Shu Jing. She wants to visit a family member, and I think it’ll help her.”

“Shu Jing? That’s where Piandao lives,” Sokka remarked in surprise.

“You know Piandao?” Zuko sounded more shocked than anything, then groaned, slapping his hand to his forehead. “ _Of course_ , you’re the friend who was training with him.” And, at Sokka’s questioning brow, he further explained, “Ty Lee had been really excited about meeting Jet. She filled me in on more details than was necessary, including the reason why he- and you guys- were in Shu Jing for so long.”

Katara stepped forward. “Aang, do you think this is a good idea? I know Ty Lee is upset, but she might not be thinking clearly. Do you know who this family member is? Are they trustworthy?”

“I think so,” Aang said with a nod. “It’s her aunt; she’s told me a bit about her, and I think she can be trusted.”

“But we have to plan, and you have to train,” Zuko argued. “There’s no time for any more fieldtrips.”

“We’ll be back by tomorrow evening. This is important, Zuko. Ty Lee needs this. She’s a little- she’s kind of lost right now.”

It was obvious that Aang wasn’t exactly asking for permission, but informing them. Zuko let out an exasperated sigh, and hung his head. “Fine. But I expect double training when you get back.”

“You got it, Sifu Hotman!” Aang replied chipperly, much to Zuko’s clear displeasure.

* * *

The dungeons were not well lit; this was hardly a surprise, but Mai still found herself wishing for a stronger source of light than a pair of torches at either end of the long room. Really, she should be counting herself lucky that her cell was located only two down from the torches; she certainly could be in a much darker cell. However, it made it fairly hard to see what she was doing.

The cell had very nearly nothing in it. There was old, rotting straw that she supposed meant to serve as a bed, and a bucket for…other purposes. Beyond that, it was just a dirty, floor and the bars all around her.

But the straw served another purpose, beyond a bed that she would sooner die than sleep upon. Beneath it, the stone floor was extra filthy; literal dirt covered it. And it was there, when she knew she was alone, or knew that Jet was asleep, that she took to writing messages for herself in.

She knew what lay ahead for her. Azula had not spelled it out, exactly, but to be kept here, in this near empty dungeon where the (and she shuddered at its name) Reeducation Room was held, where Jet was held, it was more than obvious that her mind was going to be tampered with. It was merely a surprise that it hadn’t happened yet.

Or had it?

That was the most terrifying part of all of this. Her own mind and memories could no longer be trusted. But Mai had to trust her instincts that Azula was still figuring out a satisfying way to punish her. And in the meantime, Mai was going to record all that had transpired. She could only hope that, whenever her time came, and she was thrown back into this cell afterward, she would find the messages she had written for herself and remember.

It could be useless. But it was better than doing nothing at all.

In the cell beside hers, Jet stirred, and Mai quickly covered up her writings with the straw. She couldn’t take a chance on Jet knowing what she was doing. It was risky enough to talk to him as she did; she could never know exactly what he relayed to the Dai Li when they took him to the Reeducation Room.

They had been taking him so frequently. For an hour at a time, he would be gone, and then they’d drop him off in the cell, where he would sleep. Not long after waking, they’d remove him again and repeat the process.

Whatever the goal intended was, the Dai Li were certainly doing a number on him. He was losing a lot of his memories.

They had spoken when he first woke up after she had been thrown into this dungeon. It was strange; he knew of the brainwashing, that it had happened to him. Mai couldn’t imagine living with that knowledge. But Jet seemed to be taking it in stride, and he had at first only asked her if she knew Ty Lee.

He, himself, barely seemed to know who Ty Lee was, only that he had seen her earlier, and he knew that he _should_ know her. Mai had filled in the gaps to the best of her knowledge, and had told him everything she could remember of her own experiences with Ty Lee. Jet had seemed rather enamored at every word she said about her friend; really, it was a bit endearing.

She could see why Ty Lee liked him.

But then, Jet was taken away by the Dai Li, in to that room, and the next time she spoke with him, Jet had no memory of Ty Lee at all.

So Mai told him everything she knew. She reiterated everything that he had told her before, and it seemed painful and confusing at times, but he seemed to start remembering her. And it gave her a spot of hope, that she could get him to remember, and then he could help her remember whatever she was forced to forget in the future.

Until the Dai Li once again took Jet. And once again he came back without any memories of Ty Lee.

This became their pattern. After the Dai Li would drop him off, Jet would sleep for a bit, then wake up, and Mai would feed him as much information as she could as quickly as she could. And not just about Ty Lee, but whatever else she could remember that he had told her about himself, because it suddenly became apparent that he was struggling to remember nearly _anything_ that happened to him in his life.

So she watched him sit up, groggy as always, rubbing his eyes. He peered around, confused as always, before his eyes set on her. His brow furrowed, he considered her.

“Hi,” she said, monotone as usual. It was best to get this started quickly.

“Hey,” he responded, a little gruffly.

Mai gave him just a moment, no, a few seconds to get his bearings, before asking, “So do you remember me?”

Sometimes he didn’t. This, however, did not seem to be one of those times, for Jet let out a snort. “They took me back there again, huh?”

“So what’s my name?” Still, it was better to be certain.

“You,” Jet said, twisting and cracking his back, “are my ever cheerful dungeon companion named Mai.”

She let out a small exhale in relief. It was always more difficult when she had to introduce herself again. Good. “Yeah, you got it.”

He settled back against the stone wall, and set about cracking his knuckles. “Wonder what they fucked with this time.”

Mai had an idea. “You remember Ty Lee?”

“Who?”

Bingo. “Looks like it’s the same as always,” she sighed.

“What do you mean?”

“We’ve been through this a bunch of times already. They just keep on erasing Ty Lee from your memory. Lucky for you, I seem to be able to help you remember her.” Mai turned to face Jet a little better. “Okay, let’s do this.”

* * *

Flying on Appa when it was only her in the saddle was a very new experience for Ty Lee. She had only even ridden on Appa a couple of times before; once to get to and from the place where she had sparred with Aang, and when they had fled the air temple. Both times, the saddle had been rather crowded, but now, she could see just how big it was. “

To be honest, she wasn’t exactly enjoying all the space. There was a strange hollow feeling in her gut following the argument with Zuko. Everything she had ever held close, all the emotions and beliefs she’d had tied to Azula were now _gone_. All her life, the most defining aspect of her, the one thing that actually set her apart from her sisters, was her friendship with Azula.

Not that it really did much, as far as her own family was concerned, she supposed. She had still been lost in the shuffle when she had gone home. Maybe her own family had recognized how superficial that friendship had been, and she had simply been too blind to notice.

Not for the first, or probably last time, Ty Lee wondered if she really was as stupid as everyone thought. She had seen how Azula was; she wasn’t blind to it. But she had believed that for her, Azula would be different.

What an idiot.

“Are you doing okay?”

Ty Lee perked her head up. Aang had been siting on the sky bison’s head, but had smoothly airbent his way to join her on the saddle.

“I think so,” Ty Lee responded with a shrug. It was not an honest answer; she was not okay. It was as if her whole world had been turned upside down. But, not wanting to remain on this topic, she opted to instead ask, “Do you think my aunt is actually going to tell us what you think she will?”

“I don’t know.” He considered her for a moment. “Are you having second thoughts on this?”

Ty Lee shook her head. “No. No, I want to know.” And it was a distraction, at the very least. “And even if…I’m not, Aunt Ya will have told me more about my family, more about myself. That can only be helpful, right?”

Aang grinned at her. “Right!”

* * *

They arrived on Shu Jing after night had fallen, giving them darkness as a cover as they landed in a small pocket of green surrounded by high hills. Aang had explained that, the last time they had been here, this was where they had made camp. It felt a little serendipitous, to be staying in the same place that Jet had, when they had first met.

In the early rays of the morning sun, Ty Lee and Aang left Appa, journeying on foot to Aunt Ya’s house. Aang had uncovered the Fire Nation clothing he’d used prior to the invasion, and with the addition of a hat to cover his arrow. Still, they thought it best to go very early, while the town was still waking up. Though they hadn’t exactly seen a wanted poster, Ty Lee was certain that Azula would have made it known she was an enemy of the state at this point.

It was more than just a pleasant sight to see Aunt Ya’s house after being so far from anything familiar for what felt like ages. And Ty Lee was certain it would be even better to actually see Aunt Ya.

She rapped on the door, and for the first time since lunch yesterday, she smiled. “I think you’ll really like my aunt. She really is so-”

The opening of the door cut Ty Lee short. She turned her attention to her aunt, who was staring at Ty Lee in absolute shock.

“Hi Aunt Ya! Sorry to come by so early, but-”

“What are you doing here?” Aunt Ya cried, grabbing Ty Lee by the shoulder, and before she could react, Ty Lee was dragged inside. “You too, boy, get in the house!”

As soon as the door was shut tight, her aunt breathed a sigh. She was an older woman, with wisps of grey running through her dark hair, with kind grey eyes; she did not look unlike an older version of Ty Lee. Looking back at the perplexed teens, she explained, “Soldiers were here just yesterday looking for you, Ty Lee. I doubt they’ve left the town yet. But- where have you been?”

“Um, around?” Ty Lee only hoped that answer would suffice.

Aunt Ya raised an eyebrow at her. “The soldiers claimed you disappeared under mysterious circumstances during the eclipse, and implied that you may have left with the prince! It’s all so….” She huffed, waving her hand, and then finally really seemed to take note of Aang. “Who is this?”

“Oh! This is my friend-”

“Kuzon!” Aang supplied quickly, and Ty Lee gave him a strange look. She’d heard that name before, but she couldn’t be certain as to where.

“Kuzon?” Aunt Ya repeated, clearly intrigued by the name as well. “That’s certainly an uncommon name; your parents have taste for the old fashioned.”

Aang let out a small laugh. “Yeah, I guess they do.”

Aunt Ya smiled, and then suddenly realized they were all just standing in the entrance, and ushered Ty Lee and Aang further inside. “I was just about to prepare breakfast, can I offer you anything? I wasn’t expecting guests, you’ll have to excuse me….”

Already, Ty Lee was feeling a little more like herself, just being around Aunt Ya. Though they offered to help, the older woman shooed them out of the kitchen, and into the dining room. A moment later she returned, with a teapot and several tea cups, setting it out for them to enjoy while she finished the meal. Aang had attempted to tell her that it wasn’t necessary, but Ty Lee shushed him. Aunt Ya was actually a skilled cook, as he would soon find out.

It was only once they were all seated at the table, a bowl of congree with mushrooms and a small platter of eggs between them, Aunt Ya asked, “Not that I am unhappy to see you, but what brings you here, Ty Lee? And after so much scandal; you are considered ‘missing’?”

Ty Lee paused as Aunt Ya ladled the congee into bowls for them all, passing them to the teens. “Well, I was kind of hoping you would…tell me all about our family history. You know, how you had meant to ages ago, but then I think I got busy with other things?”

Aunt Ya paused in her motions, and glanced at Aang. “I would very much love to tell you of our history,” she said slowly, almost carefully; the way Ty Lee sometimes found herself speaking around Azula. “But, it is just for our family’s ears only.” Once more, she looked at Aang, more pointedly this time. “I’m sure you understand, Kuzon. But! Maybe you could come back another time, and I could tell you everything you want to know then, Ty Lee.”

With a frown, Ty Lee looked down at her breakfast. “I…. I need to know now. I don’t know if I’ll be able to come back later.”

It was with sympathy that Aunt Ya responded to her niece. “I’m sorry, but I promised your great-grandmother that…what I have to tell you would stay private.”

Her frown only deepened; her shoulders drooped. It had been a waste to come this way.

“Would it help if I told you I was the Avatar?”

Ty Lee looked sharply to Aang in time to see him remove his hat. Across from her, Aunt Ya let out a gasp, her eyes large, and to Ty Lee’s relief, not filled with fear or anger. Just…surprise. Perhaps that was the most shocking part of the moment of all; not that Ty Lee believed Aunt Ya would have gone screaming for help. But, for most citizens of the Fire Nation, the presence of the Avatar in one’s home was not exactly a good omen.

“You- you’re-”

“Yes,” Ty Lee said quickly, while Aunt Ya was a bit stunned and perhaps would listen a little bit more closely now, and this might be her only chance to get it out. “Aang- oh, that’s his name, Aang, not Kuzon- he thinks that, maybe there’s Air Nomads in our family history, and I had told him about you and about the chi blocking, and he thinks that maybe it is all related somehow? And we were hoping you could tell us if he’s right.”

She put on a big smile, hoping that she hadn’t overwhelmed her aunt with too much information all at once. Aunt Ya looked from Aang to Ty Lee, her eyes still large, before she slowly stood, nodding her head slightly, to herself, and then she abruptly left the room. Ty Lee and Aang exchanged a confused look as there was the sound of furniture being moved and some sort of rummaging from the room Aunt Ya had disappeared into. She reappeared with a long thin object, wrapped in cloth, in her arms, and she set it gently down on the other end of the table, away from the food.

Carefully, she began to unwrap it.

“Our family history has been kept secret to protect us,” she said, glancing at Ty lee. “Your mother does not know what I’m about to reveal to you, nor did your grandmother. I was entrusted with this information because, like you Ty Lee, I am…sensitive.”

The object now uncovered, Aunt Ya took a step back, allowing Ty Lee and Aang to see it. Ty Lee frowned at it; it looked just like a staff, but with hinges, only she couldn’t quite see how it could open up. Aang, however, recognized the object immediately for what it was.

“It’s a glider!” he cried, grinning broadly. “Just like mine!”

Aunt Ya nodded. “This was your great-grandmother’s glider, Ty Lee. She was an Air Nomad, and she survived the genocide of her people.”

* * *

Days had passed since Azula had given the agents her orders, and days had passed since she had last received an update from them. The last time she had given them an order, they had managed to complete it rather quickly. So it was especially bothersome for there to be such silence on their part.

She wanted to see the results. Or, at the very least, see the Dai Li at work so she might understand what was making them take so long.

The smell of the dungeons greeted Azula first as she made her descent. Stale air, complimented with the unmistakable odor of mold and waste. She could not wait until she was no longer needed to come down here. Once Jet and Mai were finished with their reformatting, Azula planned to take them from the dungeons, keep them beside her.

After all, what better personal guards would exist in the world than these two, once they were fixed, of course. Both were incredibly deadly with their skills, both would be conditioned to ignore their own sense of self preservation in favor of Azula’s life. They would be perfect.

If only the Dai Li would just complete the job.

A frown rested upon her lips when she stepped into the dungeon. Mai’s cell was occupied (and she was doing her very best to act as if she had not noticed Azula’s entrance), but Jet’s was empty. How on earth could they s _till_ be working on _him_?

Striding past Mai and down the block of cells, Azula entered the Reeducation Room. On the opposite side, Jet was positioned in a chair, his head and his arms secured, though the princess couldn’t hardly understand why. That vacant look she was so accustomed to seeing on him was once again present. On either side of him were two Dai Li agents, both of which greeted her with customary bows.

“Why are you still working on him?” Azula demanded, walking to Jet. “Have you even started on the other prisoner yet?”

“Apologies, princess,” one of the agents responded. “We are…struggling to erase his memories, as you requested. This time around, he seems to be particularly resistant.”

“What’s the problem? I seem to remember that you did it before.”

“Correct. This is perplexing. It will appear that we are successful, but upon reexamination after a few hours, the memories return. And this has happened time and time again.”

“I see.” Azula considered the agent’s words. “…How much later is it that check your work?”

“Once he has woken naturally, usually within four or five hours.”

She looked quickly to the agent. “You mean he sleeps? And where does he sleep? In here, or in his cell.”

There was the barest hint of fear in the agent’s eyes; good. They had better fear her. “In his cell, princess.”

Her eyes narrowed as she looked up at the foolish agent. “And you believe that he is remembering it all on his own, naturally.”

“…That is correct, princess. I do not see how else he could be.”

Fools. Idiots, every last one of them. “Of course you don’t, because it clearly has not occurred to you that our two prisoners may have talked!”

She snapped around, to face this prisoner. “Jet, she spoke clearly. “Have you been talking with Mai?”

His voice was low, monotone when he responded: “Yes.”

“And is she telling you about Ty Lee? Helping you to remember her?”

“Yes.”

In her veins, Azula could feel her blood boiling.

“You incompetent fools!” she snarled, turning to face the agents. “I want his memory wiped now- _all_ of it, gone! And the moment you are done with him, you will do the same to the other prisoner! Am I understood?”

The agents murmured an affirmation in unison, and Azula stormed from the room. The dim torches within the dungeon roared to life, growing larger and hotter as she advanced toward Mai’s cell. This time, Mai looked up at her, her face passive as ever.

“You think you’re so clever,” Azula hissed through the bars at her former friend. “But your game is up. By the end of the day, you won’t even know your own name!”

Mai’s face was stone, but Azula had seen it; a flash of fear in her eyes. Good. She should be afraid. She should have been afraid days ago, when she thought to save Zuko’s worthless life.

* * *

Ty Lee gently ran her fingers over the wood of the glider, not daring to pick it up from where it lay on the table. It was so old, certainly delicate; she feared she might break it, or accidentally trigger whatever mechanism let out the wings.

This felt very surreal. It had been Aang’s idea to come to Aunt Ya for answers to a question that he mostly had, and she had agreed because, in light of the knowledge of how Azula thought of her, she was certain it would be a comfort to see her aunt again. She had not actually believed that Aunt Ya would confirm the suspicious that had only been brought up within the last couple of days.

“I’m an Air Nomad?” she whispered, looking up to her aunt.

Aunt Ya smiled. “As close as there will ever be to one.” She paused, glancing at Aang. “Well, except for you, dear.”

As stunned as Ty Lee felt by this news, Aang was overjoyed. “This is amazing!” he exclaimed, his eyes larger, brighter than she had ever seen them. “Can you airbend? Can anyone in your family?”

“No,” Aunt Ya shook her head. “None of us can. My grandparents- your great-grandparents, Ty Lee- saw to that.”

That was a peculiar thing to say. As far as Ty Lee knew, there wasn’t anything anyone could do to determine who would and would not be benders. “What do you mean?”

Aunt Ya sighed through her nose, looking at the glider. “This is…a long story. A sad story. Your great-grandmother, her name was Iniya. She lived in the Western Air Temple, on an island north of our country. She was there when Sozin sent his firebenders during the comet. Perhaps it was to spare me the gruesome details of the attack, but she did not share much of it with me. Only that the sky became red, and there was more fire than she had ever seen in her life. She said the children were sent further into the temple, but she and her friends were cut off from them by fire. The only thing to do was flee by air, but they were pursued. Firebenders were seemingly everywhere, so they flew in the one direction they knew the soldiers could not follow: they went over the sea. She said they flew for as long as they could.”

She took a pause, shaking her head.

“What happened?” Aang asked, and Ty Lee could hear the hope in his voice. “They made it to land, right?”

“…No. My grandmother told me, in their panic, they flew south, and the distance between the temple and the Fire Nation was too great for them to cross by glider. Exhaustion came over them one by one, and they fell into the sea. Only Iniya managed to wash ashore. A child of ten, she would not have made it much longer had it not been for the kind family that found her on the sands of their coastal home. She was very, very lucky that they were as kind as they were, that they had not been supportive of Sozin’s actions. They took her in, cared for her, and hid her from Sozin’s soldiers.”

Still, Aang clung to the idea that there could be others. “But if she survived, then maybe other Air Nomads did as well.”

Aunt Ya merely shrugged. “It is possible, I suppose, but I do not think it is likely. Sozin’s forces kept their persecution and hunt of the Air Nomads for years, for much of Iniya’s life. She told me that it was luck more than anything else that had kept her safe. The family that took her in were wealthy, of higher status; they could afford to hide her for a number of years, before claiming she was a niece from a distant relative who had come to live with them once it was safe for her to be out in the open. They did everything that they could to keep her safe, to keep her identity a secret. And, the greatest tool they had at their disposal was chi blocking.”

“How could that help?”

Ty Lee had not meant to interrupt her aunt, but it was difficult for her to consider chi blocking to be a positive. Aunt Ya had emphasized, in training her how to perform the movements, how important it was not to use it against others unless necessary, that it disrupted a natural part of a bender’s body. She had only chi blocked so often because it was at Azula’s behest.

“Perhaps you will understand this better than I,” Aunt Ya said, gesturing to Aang. “But my grandmother, she told me that airbending comes so naturally, that it is difficult not to allow it to happen. The example she gave to me was sneezing. She said that some sneezes could send her flying into the air-”

“Oh yeah!” Aang agreed enthusiastically. “I can get up to thirty or forty feet with a good sneeze!”

Aunt Ya nodded. “Yes, that’s what she had said as well. And that, jumping, it came so innately to use airbending to give her a lift, that she did not even realize she was doing it. The family realized that, unless something was done, she could be found out while in public. In order for her to be safe, they would have to block her bending.”

“They chi blocked her,” Ty Lee filled in, and Aunt Ya gave another nod.

“Yes. Continually, for years, until her chi was permanently blocked.”

Ty Lee’s jaw dropped open. “That can happen?!”

And suddenly, she thought of every single time she had ever chi blocked anyone. How many times had she chi blocked Katara? Toph? Even Azula, when they would spar on occasion when the princess claimed to want a ‘real challenge.’

“It was not on purpose, Ty Lee. Her chi was blocked continually, daily, for years. One day, Iniya realized she no longer felt the connection to her element. She told me that it was a bittersweet experience. Sad, because she lost a connection she had known for her whole life, but relief that there was no possibility of accidentally bending in public and endangering herself and her adopted family. This happened before she met my grandfather, before she had a family of her own. She believed that this is why none of her children were airbenders, that I was the closest she saw to any of us being airbender.”

Aunt Ya reached across the table, placing her hand on Ty Lee’s, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

“I believe that we would have been airbenders, if things had gone differently. We share the same traits as Iniya. She, too, could see auras. She taught me how to hone that skill, how to see them more properly, just as I’ve taught you. She taught me the importance of meditation and centering oneself, as I have taught you. And she told me our family’s history, and taught me to chi block, in case an airbender appeared in our bloodline.” Another squeeze of her hand. “I am sorry for not telling you this sooner. I meant to, when you were young. But you became close to the princess, and I feared that….our secret could be revealed. I hope you forgive me.”

Slowly, Ty Lee nodded. As much as she wanted to be rightfully offended that her aunt thought she might have told everything to Azula, she did have to admit that Aunt Ya had made the right choice. In her younger years, Ty Lee had spoken often and at length about anything that she found exciting. Being a descendant of an Air Nomad certainly would have made the top of that list.

“This is….” Ty Lee searched for the proper word. Overwhelming? Intense? Incredible? All applicable, and all not nearly grand enough.

She is part Air Nomad. She is part Fire Nation, and part Air Nomad, and there is a strong possibility that if her great-grandmother’s bending had not been so severed, she would also be an airbender. So many emotions swirled inside of her at the thought.

She could have been an airbender. She should have been an airbender. If it were not for the chi blocking- no. She quickly stopped herself at that thought. Her great-grandmother credited the chi blocking with saving her life; Ty Lee would not disrespect her memory by blaming it for the way she was now. No, the real source of this injustice was not on the family that had saved Iniya, but at the soldiers that had caused her to flee, at the command it came from.

This war was to blame.

“Take a deep breath, dear.” Aunt Ya’s voice cut through her thoughts. “Your aura…. It’s gone dark.”

She followed her aunt’s advice as best as she could. But it felt as if she had been served an injustice. She had always heard that it was a great spiritual connection that gave benders their ability, and it never had made sense to her. There was no one Ty Lee knew who was as in tune with their spirituality as she was, and yet she was not a firebender. But this explained it.

“I still can’t believe that this is true,” Aang spoke up. “This is amazing. Ty Lee, you’re proof. My people have survived.” He smiled at her and Aunt Ya. “ _You_ are my people. And I’m so happy I found you.”

It was difficult to stay mad when Aang was so uplifting. She smiled at him, and leaned closer, letting her head bump gently against his. “I’m glad I found you too.”

Life had certainly been very different since the Avatar had come into her world, and she was just starting to understand why it was so important to him that this war come to a peaceful end.

* * *

They stayed in Shu Jing until just before midday. Aunt Ya had unearthed a couple more relics; clothing that had belonged to Iniya (apparently the very same that she had worn the day of the comet) and a set of beads that Aang had understood the significance of. Throughout the morning, Aunt Ya and Aang exchanged stories; she would tell him bits and pieces she remembered of Ty Lee’s great-grandmother, and Aang delighted her with tales of what the air temples were like before the war.

It would have been nice to stay longer. But they had work to get to.

The flight back to Ember Island was a quiet one, as Ty Lee continued to absorb everything that had been relayed to her. She was thankful that Aang seemed to sense that she had a lot to consider about herself, and let her sit alone in the saddle.

The sun was setting as they landed in the courtyard of the Fire Lord’s vacation house, and she shouldn’t have been surprised that everyone came out to greet them. The dynamic among these friends was just…. It did truly warm Ty Lee’s heart, the way they unabashedly cared for each other. She had thought she’d had that with Azula and Mai. But, she could see now, Azula kept everything so toxic between them that it simply could never be that way.

“So how did your life changing field trip go?” Toph asked they unloaded the few supplies they’d taken with them from Appa’s saddle. The question was confusing, but not wrong, so Ty Lee did not correct her. “Feel better, Perky?”

Ty Lee glanced at Aang, and smiled. “I do.” And then, she looked at everyone else, all looking so curious as to what they had done, and wanting answers, and knew she had to say more.

“I want to thank you, all of you,” she said earnestly. “I know it was difficult for me to…understand what you were trying to tell me yesterday. I didn’t want to believe it, because for so much of my life, I was- I was Azula’s friend. It was kind of my identity, I think? The one thing that actually set me apart from my sisters. I didn’t want to hear that Azula has only…used me, because if I wasn’t Azula’s best friend, then who am I?”

It still was upsetting to hear, but mostly just sad now, mourning the friendship she thought she’d had.

Again, she met Aang’s eyes, and she was certain he could tell that she was thanking him silently. “But now I know I am more than that. I’m a lot more than that. And you all helped me realize that, so thank you, really.”

Some of them looked a bit more confused than others; Zuko and Sokka, namely, but Ty Lee could see how all their auras were shining a bit stronger, a bit brighter, melding together into a gorgeous glow, and she hoped that her own was mixing in with theirs as well.

“Man, what spirit world sort of journey did you guys go on?” Sokka questioned, and there was a hint of teasing in his voice, but also genuine curiosity.

“Sokka!” Katara admonished, but then, when she looked back to Ty Lee, she added, “But…yeah, where did you guys go?”

“I told you, to visit her aunt in Shu Jing,” Aang said. He was buzzing with energy, clearly wanting to tell them all about what had been revealed. “She helped Ty Lee figure some things out.”

“Like what?” Zuko asked, as if he were bored with the whole topic, but Ty Lee knew better.

Ty Lee bit her lip, trying to hold in a grin, because this was such a strange thing to reveal, but Aang’s excitement was infectious.

“That…Sokka was kind of right. I’m part Air Nomad.”

* * *

Azula knelt confidently before her father, flanked by Mai and Jet.

The Dai Li agents had finally completed their work properly. She had seen to it that she was there when both Jet and Mai awoke after their reeducation, to see what they did and did not remember. It had been an absolute delight to watch Mai in particular, look about her surroundings in confusion, to look upon Azula with no sort of recognition to who she was. Satisfied their memories were fully wiped, Azula gave very clear orders of what next to be imprinted upon their memories; that they served her, they had always served her, and their only purpose in life was to fulfill her will and keep her safe.

They had taken on these ideals rather well, she had to say. The only thing left to do was present them before the Fire Lord, as examples of what could be done with their prisoners of war. There would be no need to put Fire Nation lives out on the front line anymore. Certainly her father would see the value in that.

Ozai sat on the throne, flames dancing before him, as he always did when an audience was held. Azula had expected this. What she had not expected was the slight expression of irritation on his face.

“When you requested an audience with me,” he spoke, his displeasure clear in his voice alone, “the request was for you and you alone. What is the meaning of these other two?”

Azula refused to show the barest hint of weakness, though deep within her chest, she felt the tiniest thrum of uncertainty.

“They are examples, Fire Lord, of the work I have been doing, which I am sure you will find beneficial to our war efforts.”

“What work is this you speak of?”

Good. While Azula had not actually believed he would cast her off before she had the opportunity to show him what she had done, there was always the smallest chance that he would.

“While I was in Ba Sing se, I discovered the city’s law enforcement had utilized brainwashing to maintain order within the walls,” Azula explained. “Naturally, I saw the greater potential of such a skill; while the Dai Li merely used it to make its citizens forget their transgressions and any unpleasantries, I have perfected it, to turn our enemies into soldiers for our cause.”

Ozai shifted, Azula hoped, out of interest. She had spent the better part of her fourteen years trying to decipher the subtleties of her father’s motions, to perceive his thoughts before he spoke them. He was a master of concealment, she had discovered.

But he had not asked her to stop, or asked a question, so Azula took this as a sign to continue. “With me is a soldier who had been traveling with the Avatar, and you may remember Mai, my former childhood friend who allowed Zuko to escape the Boiling Rock when he was already in custody. I have stripped them of any desire to do anything at all but carry out my will.”

“And how, Azula, is this supposed to help us in the war?”

The question felt like a trap. Her father was no fool; he should be able to piece this together, draw his own conclusions. “All the prisoners of war that we have sitting in cells, being fed and housed under the coin of our great Nation, can instead be used to fill our armies.”

Ozai held Azula’s gaze for a moment. She barely dared to blink.

“I have no need of this. Azula, you are dismissed.”

Her eyes widened against her own will. This was not the way this audience was supposed to go. She had worked tirelessly on this, perfected the process, had stripped her own friend- no, not friend, _traitor_ of all that made her who she was, and her father had barely heard her out. She was _not_ Zuko, this was not the way she was supposed to be treated.

“Father, I don’t think you understand-”

“I have made my decision.” He was unyielding, and it only served to fuel her anger.

“But why?” She wanted to demand the question of him. She had served him loyally for years, for her whole life, and he was going to near spit in her face now?

“There is no point in brainwashing prisoners if there will be no prisoners.” Gone was the irritation in his voice, leaving only a steady venom of anger- anger at _her_. He had no _right_. “When Sozin’s Comet comes, the Earth Kingdom will be consumed by fire.”

“Yes, I know-”

“Then I fail to understand why you came to me with such an idiotic scheme.”

Her body was nearly vibrating with anger, with betrayal. Her father. Her father was rejecting her now, the same way Ty Lee had when she had run off, the same way Mai had when she had chosen Zuko over her. She could not move, did not trust herself to do anything, for if she did, she might-

“I thought I was cursed with only one useless offspring. Get out of my sight.”

Azula’s control snapped. Red clouded her vision- she had never thought it possible to literally see red when so overcome by rage- and the order came from her lips before she knew what she was saying. She could not even hear her own words over the rush of blood in her veins. Jet leapt forward, compelled by her will, hook blades drawn.

Perhaps her father had merely been caught off-guard; perhaps he hadn’t heard her at all. Perhaps, most foolishly of all, he believed Azula would never see to his death. But in a quick flash of the blades, Ozai gasped and gurgled; as he slumped forward, blood flowing from the open gash in his throat, the flames in the room died and the room fell into darkness.

For a moment, Azula did not move; she scarcely dared to breath. Then her senses returned, and she created a ball of flame in her open hand. Jet was still standing over Ozai, passive, waiting for the next order. Mai remained where she knelt, seemingly unaffected by what she’d witnessed.

“Jet.” Azula rose to her feet, and motioned for Mai to do the same. “Clean your blades. I want no speck of blood left on them.”

It seemed regicide ran in the family. Maybe she was more like her mother than she thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELL NOW. 
> 
> This story is becoming much more involved than I had expected. Once again, I did not fit in everything I needed to for this chapter, because there was just so much to cover. I don't know what I'm going to do. In theory, this story needs to wrap up in like, three chapters (just because of a fun project I gave myself with titling these chapters, I only have three more unique lines left from the song before it starts repeating itself, and then the chapter titles will repeat themselves, and I dunno what I'm gonna do :( ). 
> 
> Tags are updated to reflect the twist that just happened. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please leave any feedback you have! :)


	11. From the Bunkers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Gaang goes to see Ember Island Players.

The mood had shifted within the gang since Ty Lee had been forced to come to terms with the truth of her relationship with Azula. Ty Lee was certain she knew why; no longer were any of them wondering where her loyalties lay. As difficult as it had been to hear, it had been necessary.

Once again, Ember Island had helped to smooth out the rough edges. She wondered if Zuko had thought of that as well.

Probably not.

Before retiring the night before, there had been dozens of questions from everyone about Ty Lee’s family history, with Sokka proudly claiming that he ‘knew it!’ It was strange to relay, if only because the information was so new. Zuko had been the most shocked by the information, but then again, he hadn’t ever seen her fight much before, and the last time he had seen her do anything remotely close to acrobatics was when they had been children.

It was really heartwarming, to have everyone so interested to hear from her, about her.

The one aspect that filled Ty Lee with the most warmth was that the morning mediation group had only grown, with Katara joining them as well. The only two holding out were Sokka and Toph, but they tended to sleep late. It was fine, really, because when Katara took a seat beside her as they did their yoga, Ty Lee thought she might burst from joy.

Katara had finally accepted her.

And then, the rest of the day was so _easy_. Aang trained with Zuko, Toph pushed her limits of what bending she could do as Katara scolded her; and while Sokka attempted to come up with a plan to take down Fire Lord Ozai, Suki convinced Ty Lee to teach her how to chi block. She’d been hesitant at first, of course, but Suki made a good argument. When facing the Fire Lord, there were bound to be many benders defending him. Taking them out would be incredibly helpful to allow Aang to reach the Fire Lord unscathed.

It was a useful skill. Ty Lee could not deny that.

After lunch, Sokka and Suki offered to go into town, under the guise of food shopping, though it was clear to everyone that they required time alone, away from the rest of them. Watching them leave, Ty Lee couldn’t help but to sigh wistfully.

She wanted that, wanted to have Jet with her and safe, and be able to do normal teenager dates with him. It would happen soon, she promised herself. She would be going with them to take out Ozai, and it would be then she would save Jet from Azula. And then she would help him to recover from the brainwashing, and then…they could just be average teens.

It sounded really nice.

When Suki and Sokka returned, it was with a poster for a play, apparently about the lot of them. Zuko groaned and whined about the theater company, which Ty Lee found rather endearing. While she certainly was no theater expert, the one and only play she had ever seen had been by the Ember Island Players, and she had enjoyed it.

Despite Zuko’s grumbles, the general consensus was that, as a nice night off of training and planning, they would see the play. Ty Lee, thrilled to be doing something ‘normal,’ pulled Katara and Toph to their room so that they could get ready.

Apparently, ‘getting ready’ meant very different things to the three of them. At the very least, Toph and Katara did change into Fire Nation appropriate clothing, though Toph did absolutely nothing to make herself appear cleaner or more kempt. Katara ran a comb through her hair, changing the style slightly, but did not seem overly concerned with dressing up.

Maybe it was only common in Fire Nation high society to really change things up for a night out. Maybe it was better to just…blend in. It was a shame; Ty Lee would have liked to peek into Princess Ursa’s old wardrobe to see if anything there at all fit her. But then again, Zuko might not be partial to that.

So Ty Lee wore one of the changes of clothing she’d brought, an outfit similar to the one she had worn to Chan’s house, and took her hair out of the long braid. As she ran her fingers through her waves, Katara spoke, and she glanced at her through the mirror.

“I’m surprised Zuko has such strong opinions about theater,” Katara commented, pulling part of her hair away from her face.

“His mom _loved_ the theater,” Ty Lee responded while trying to decide if she would try a simple high ponytail, or if it was just better to rebraid her hair a little more neatly. “I only go to go to a play with her once, when Azula invited me here with them. The Fire Lord didn’t go, which was fine because he is s _cary_ , and Azula was bored, but it was neat to watch the play with Princess Ursa. She would explain a lot of theater terms, and point out how the effects worked. It was really fun!”

Katara gave her a strange look through the mirror. “His mom was nice? I always thought she must be a terrible person, considering who she married, and how Azula is…. And how Zuko used to be.”

Ty Lee shook her head, but only slightly; she was already braiding her hair again. She just felt more comfortable with the familiar hairstyle. “Oh gosh, _no_. Princess Ursa was so nice! I don’t think Azula liked her very much, but I did. She was always so much fun, and she would stop Azula when she got too mean.”

“Wow. Did she- I mean, I guess she died? Zuko never talks about her.”

“Oh.” It suddenly occurred to Ty Lee that everyone beyond the Fire Nation inner court would not have heard the gossip. Or maybe, just those beyond the Fire Nation. “Um. No one really knows? I asked Azula about it once, after it happened, and I think she knew a little, but she wouldn’t tell me.”

“After what happened?” Toph questioned from the floor, where she was sprawled out, as if she did not care about dirtying her clothes. But then again, she probably didn’t.

“Princess Ursa disappeared the night that Fire Lord Azulon- the Fire Lord before Ozai- died.”

“What do you mean ‘disappeared?’ No one just disappears.”

Ty Lee shrugged at Toph, though it was uncertain if she felt that from where she lay. “Princess Ursa did. There are rumors though; the most popular one is that she killed Fire Lord Azulon, because it should have been Prince Iroh- that’s Zuko’s uncle- who should have become Fire Lord, but Azulon had given that birthright to Fire Lord Ozai instead.”

Toph let out a low whistle. “Man, the Fire Nation royal family is _complicated_.”

“When did this happen?” Katara asked.

Ty Lee scrunched her face, trying to remember. “I think I was nine, so….five years ago? I don’t know how much I believe that rumor. I mean, I didn’t really get to know Princess Ursa well at all, but from what I _did_ see, she was just a really kind lady who really loved her kids. There isn’t really a reason for her to have killed the Fire Lord and then run away; I can’t imagine her just abandoning Zuko and Azula. I think something bad must have happened to her. I just don’t know what.”

If Katara or Toph had more questions, they were not given the change to ask them, as there was a short knock on the door, and then Suki poked her head in.

“Hey, Sokka’s getting impatient,” she said rather apologetically. “Are you guys ready yet?”

“Yes!” Ty Lee answered for them; after all, she had been the only one still fussing with her appearance. Hastily, she tied the end of her braid with a bit of string, and followed Katara and Toph out of the room.

* * *

Getting to the theater had been…more interesting than Ty Lee had anticipated. Zuko had taken one look at her, before shaking his head and tossed the cloak that he had just been wearing at her, telling her to wear it.

Of course, that had caused a small argument, because his cloak absolutely clashed with her outfit, and Ty Lee was almost more excited about looking cute and going out than the actual play they were about to see. It went on for so long that Sokka ended up screaming at them that they would be late, and Zuko stormed inside.

Then Sokka had a small meltdown, believing that Zuko was going to hold them up by needing to sulk, until Zuko came back out, a beautiful silk red and gold shawl in his hands. Gruffly, he shoved it in Ty Lee’s hands, taking the cloak back from her, and told her to cover her head with it as best she could, because there were certainly wanted posters for them everywhere. Looking at the fine shawl, Ty Lee realized that this must have belonged to his mother, and started crying over how much the scarf must mean to him and the magnitude of the gesture, that he would let her wear it.

Eventually, they did manage to make it to the theater, and into their seats. Zuko, Katara, Aang and Toph sat in the row in front of Ty Lee, Sokka and Suki, and Ty Lee almost wished there were more seats in the row below them so that she could give the two of them some privacy. Suki didn’t seem to mind; if anything, she seemed content to be sitting with someone who wouldn’t know the whole of the play already.

The lights dimmed, and she could feel everyone around her filled with excitement in anticipation of seeing themselves upon the stage, and she had to wonder if she would make the cut as well.

A lone man strode across the stage, in front of the curtain, and a spotlight shined down on him. He cleared his throat, and Ty Lee frowned. True, she had not been to many plays at all, but this seemed a little odd.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” the man spoke, his voice carrying well across the audience, and there was a grave tone to it. “The play you are about to see is a dramatized retelling of the recent events of the Avatar’s reemergence. As the greatest foe to our glorious nation, a fitting end was originally imagined to our tale. However, in light of the recent and untimely death of our esteemed ruler Fire Lord Ozai, last minute changes have been made, out of honor and respect.”

Ty Lee’s eyes widened. Surely, she could not have heard that correctly. But Suki and Sokka had matching expressions of shock. No, she had heard correctly. When had this happened? How had this happened? Had he passed in his sleep? How would this change things for them?

So wrapped up in trying to grapple with this new information, Ty Lee missed whatever else the speaker had to say. She glanced down at the back of Zuko’s head, wondering how he was taking this. Curiosity got the better of her, and she shifted out of her seat and down the small stairs to crouch by Zuko. He appeared to be in shock, from how he merely stared straight ahead, seemingly unaware of the fact that Katara and Aang were staring pointedly at him.

“Hey,” she whispered, nudging his arm, and he nearly jumped at the touch. “Are you okay?”

“I….” Zuko took in a breath. “I guess? I just…. _How_?”

“Should we leave?” she asked, and it was Aang who answered her.

“That guy was saying that they changed the end of the play because of it,” he explained. “Maybe they’ll show what happened?”

It really could be their best bet to find out what happened to Ozai. Slowly, Zuko nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, probably…. We should watch it….”

He sounded so distracted, and Ty Lee wanted nothing more than to give him a hug and calm his erratic aura, but Zuko was so awkward and weird when it came to hugs. It might be better to just leave him be, as much as Ty Lee wanted to comfort him.

She gave his hand a squeeze- he knew exactly where to find her, she didn’t need to remind him of that- and then returned to her seat in time for the curtain to go up for the first act.

Despite the harsh news that had been delivered prior to the start of the play, Ty Lee actually found herself enjoying the first act enough to actually forget about what had been revealed. Sure, she seemed to be alone in that aspect (except for Toph, who found humor in the way that everyone was portrayed), but it was the first time she saw how Aang came to be alive in the present and how he had met Katara and Sokka. Sure, the representation of them was less than favorable, but Ty Lee could kind of understand why they were portrayed the way they were.

During the intermission between act one and act two, Ty Lee did her best to be sympathetic to all of their complaints, trying to counter how easily Toph took the opportunity to laugh at all of them. It did seem silly, however, for them to get so worked up over an actor on the stage. Of course it wouldn’t be completely accurate; they only had second and third party sources!

But then, in the second act, her character was introduced, and Ty Lee was _not_ impressed.

First of all, they made her seem _stupid_ , the way actor Ty Lee would giggle and flounce around the stage- and they got chi blocking completely wrong! They made it seem like it was super easy to do and involved a kiss, strangely enough, when it was a really difficult skill to perform properly.

And then, there was the worst scene of all.

On the stage, it was just the actors that played Ty Lee and Azula, and for some completely unfathomable reason, the one playing her _professed her love to Azula_. Ty Lee’s jaw fell open, letting out a high pitched squeak of absolute shock and disbelief. She wanted to believe that, perhaps, this was just very bad dialogue and that what was supposed to be portrayed was a very loyal friendship, but as the scene continued, it became painfully obvious that no, this was not the love between friends that was being pushed, but a true romantic love.

In front of her, she heard Zuko let out a snort, and Ty Lee suppressed the urge to kick his seat. This was _not_ funny.

“ _Why_ did they make me in love with Azula?!” Ty Lee bemoaned the group as they gathered in the hall outside their box. “At least with you guys, they only exaggerated parts of you! They just completely made up my apparent love for Azula!”

She buried her face in her hands, and leaned heavily against the wall, sliding down it to sit on the floor. Nearby, Toph snickered.

Katara, however, cleared her throat, a little uncomfortable. “Well, you were really overly positive about her,” she pointed out. “Almost suspiciously loyal to her.”

“Because she’s my friend!” Ty Lee whined, looking up at her. “I’m not in love with her! There’s no reason for _anyone_ to think that, ever!”

Zuko snorted, and when she looked sharply at him, he rolled his eyes. “Did you ever hear yourself when you spoke to Azula?” he asked. “You were always complimenting her, telling her how smart and pretty she is. _I_ thought you might be in love with her for a while.”

“ _What_?!” she nearly shrieked.

“It’s not normal to shower someone in _that_ much praise.”

“But- I just wanted her to know what I thought of her! I thought- I thought she might like me better if I did that!”

“Perky, you are not helping your case.” Toph was nearly howling with laughter at this point, and Ty Lee scowled at the ground.

This was _so_ not fair. Ty Lee was almost excited to go back in for the third act, so everyone would stop teasing her so badly.

The play continued on, about as accurately as it had. Ty Lee once again found herself burying her face in her hands at the part where she and Zuko left together; in this absolutely ludicrous interpretation, she had been trying to get Azula to return her feelings, until Zuko appeared, and offered her a different member of the royal family to throw herself at, and _she had taken it_. Ty Lee did not know which was more ridiculous; that she was merely a gold digger trying to become a part of the royal family at any cost, or that she would actually choose to be in a relationship with Zuko. He was a good friend, but he was just so surly and gloomy! Ty Lee could _never_ live with that sort of energy!

When Jet was shown being taken by Azula, she did cry, and there was a surprised silence that fell over the group as they realized that, in the play, Jet had killed Toph.

The very next scene was of a darkened throne room, and Ozai sitting alone within it. Ty Lee tensed, suddenly remembering that Ozai was dead, and they were certainly about to see what had apparently happened. A figure covered in black was illuminated behind Ozai, who remained unaware that he was no longer alone. The figure approached Ozai, a knife drawn, and when he was just behind the Fire Lord, raised the blade high and yelled, “Die, father!”

Ty Lee’s eyes widened as the prop knife was cut across the actor’s throat; they clutched their neck, and let red ribbons fall from between their fingers as they dropped to the ground. The actor that played the assassin removed their dark mask, revealing themselves to be Zuko.

The audience gasped, and in front of her, Zuko was completely still.

Then, the actress that was playing as Azula appeared on the stage, and a small fight occurred between her and character Zuko; colored ribbons were utilized again, this time as pretend flames. Zuko evaded her, and disappeared off stage. A spotlight fell over Azula as the rest of the stage went dark, and she turned to face the audience.

“My brother,” she spoke, “the disgraced former prince of our great nation, killed my father with the intent of usurping the throne. He has evaded capture-“

And as she spoke, the actors that played Jet and Mai appeared on stage with her, Mai fastening the Fire Lord hairpiece into her topknot.

“-But I swear to you all, people of the Fire Nation, that as your Fire Lord, that the assassin and Avatar sympathizer will be found and held accountable for his treasonous actions. Sozin’s Comet fast approaches, and with it, I shall fulfil my father’s vision and bring the Fire Nation into a glorious new era!”

Cheers erupted from the audience, giving way to a standing ovation. Only their box remained seated, stunned beyond belief.

* * *

“I didn’t kill the Fire Lord!”

It was hours later. They all had left the theater, completely stunned, and were now back at the house, trying to digest what had been revealed. Zuko was pacing the length of the hall, and Ty Lee was desperately trying to figure out if he was angry or frustrated, or possibly both.

“We know that,” Katara said gently, trying to calm him down. Of course, this didn’t work.

Zuko turned to face her, eyes narrowed. “The rest of the country doesn’t! The rest of the country thinks I killed him! Do you think I can just go back to life as normal once this is done if everyone thinks I murdered my own dad to take the throne from him?” He let out a yell, hands balled into fists. “This is all so _fucked_.”

“Do you really think Azula is Fire Lord?” Ty Lee asked, and it was Sokka who answered.

“Probably; who else would be Fire Lord if not her?”

“Well, at least you don’t have to kill Ozai now, Twinkle-Toes,” Toph pointed out from the floor, where she had taken to sitting while Zuko paced like an angry saber-toothed moose-lion.

Aang drew his shoulders in, frowning. “I wasn’t ever going to kill the Fire Lord,” he pointed out quietly, earning surprised looks from Sokka and Zuko.

“What?” Sokka raised an eyebrow at the Avatar. “Of course you were; how else were you going to stop him?”

“I hadn’t figured that out yet, but I wasn’t going to kill him,” Aang admitted. “It goes against everything the monks taught me, that every life has worth.”

“Even evil Fire Lords?”

“Aang,” Zuko said, arms folded over his chest. “As long as she is Fire Lord, she’s going to have the power to keep this war going, and if I know Azula, that is exactly what she is going to do.”

Ty Lee suddenly jumped, the answer coming to her now, to solve this problem. “Oh! Oh! Zuko, an agni kai! You could challenge her for the throne! Then you’ll get to be Fire Lord fair and square!”

Zuko was already shaking his head before Suki asked, “What’s an agni kai?”

“An honor duel for firebenders,” he explained succinctly. “But that won’t work. Even if I did beat Azula- which I don’t know if I can, she’s a prodigy, remember?- she’s already laid the groundwork to make me the villain in the eyes of the Fire Nation. Defeating her and taking the throne from her will only solidify that idea, and I will never be accepted as Fire Lord.”

Zuko rubbed his face with both hands, groaning. “I can’t be the one to fight her. It will look like I’m just grabbing for power. It has to be Aang, and it can’t be an agni kai. That would be fighting on her terms, and trust me, if you’re stuck with only firebending, you will lose to her.”

The upset on Aang’s face was clear; he was frowning so deeply, shaking his head. “But how am I supposed to defeat her without killing her? There has to be another way.”

Zuko’s shoulders sagged. “I… I don’t think there is another way. I think- I think it’s our only option.”

“No!” Ty Lee knew how this was going to look, defending Azula once again. But this time they were discussing ending her life, and she could not sit idly back and allow this to happen. Azula was cruel, Ty Lee could see that now; but she was still a _person_. “You can’t kill her,” she said firmly.

Sokka looked nearly exhausted as he quipped, “I thought you were past being ‘Team Azula.’”

“I’m not killing anyone,” Aang cut in, before Ty Lee could even scowl at Sokka.

“You’re going to have to,” Zuko said quietly, “or she is going to destroy the world.”

“You don’t know that!” Ty Lee cried, absolutely aghast that Zuko was discussing his own sister’s life being taken in such a casual way. “She might not- she didn’t like your father either, she might do something different!”

Zuko scoffed. “Azula worshipped the ground my father walked on.”

“She did _not_. Do you know your sister at all? She knew how to hold herself in front of him, how to perform for him, but she was scared of him too!”

“Not likely. Azula isn’t scared of anything.”

Ty Lee wanted to scream in frustration. “You really think that, after what your father did to you, that Azula wasn’t scared of him doing the same thing to her? She was, she told me so! Why else do you think that she never once questioned a single order he ever gave her?”

Zuko was silent, only holding her gaze, and Ty Lee took in a deep breath, to calm herself.

“She’s your sister, Zuko. She’s done a lot of awful things, and she’s hurt a lot of people, but she’s a person, and she’s your sister-”

“You think I don’t know that? I’m not exactly thrilled with the thought of her being killed, but we’re talking about the fate of the world here, Ty Lee!” Zuko snapped. “She’s going to follow in my father’s footsteps, and she’s going to burn the Earth Kingdom to the ground when the comet arrives!”

“….She’s going to what now?” Toph’s voice cut through the stunned silence after Zuko’s last burst.

From the looks on everyone else’s face, this was just as much new news to them as it was to Ty Lee, and Zuko appeared to be completely at a loss for how this could be possible.

“What did you think was going to happen during the comet?” he asked, and Sokka, Katara and Aang all shared a blank look with each other.

“Well, we didn’t think _that_ was going to happen,” Sokka finally responded.

“Yeah. I was planning on just taking time to focus on bettering my bending, and then figure out what to do with Ozai after the comet,” Aang added. “But, she can’t- she can’t really attack the _whole_ Earth Kingdom, right?”

Apparently, that thought was very, very wrong. Zuko launched into a story, of the day before the eclipse, of a war meeting, in which Ozai laid out a plan that would absolutely decimate the Earth Kingdom. Ty Lee listened in horror, wanting to believe that Zuko was exaggerating.

“Maybe….Azula will not do that?” she suggested weakly, and Zuko shot her a condescending look.

“Even if you’re right, we don’t know for certain, and won’t know unless we wait to see what she does during the comet,” Zuko pointed out. “She has to be taken out before the comet arrives in just a few days, or there won’t be a world left to save.”

* * *

There had been no resolution reached, on what was to be done about Azula, so everyone agreed it would be best to simply sleep on it, and come up with a concrete plan in the morning.

Personally, Ty Lee was rather sickened at how easily everyone else had made their peace with Azula losing her life. Yes, she knew the stakes, she knew how important it was to end this war quickly, but she could not just accept this. She planned, in the morning, to make her stance once again known, and firmly support Aang in finding a different solution.

Except, in the morning, Aang was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a short chapter, I know. I'm sorry. But it made more sense to end it here. 
> 
> My chapter titles are officially all messed up. I understand that no one cares about this but me, but I had everything planned out and outlined so well, and then...inspiration got in the way and took over, and I hated giving this chapter the title that it was supposed to have, so I took the second half of the song lyrics that were used for the previous chapter and used it here. 
> 
> Again, I know I'm the only one that gives a shit. Sorry for my rant about chapter titles.
> 
> I was thinking that this was going to only have two more chapters after this one, but I'm thinking it's going to almost certainly be at least four more, with all I have planned. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know I had a ton of fun writing how Ty Lee could be included more into The Boy in the Iceberg. Please let me know what you thought of this!


	12. By Land, By Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sozin's Comet arrives.

Azula stared down at her advisors and generals from her throne, seated where her own father had met his end, with Jet and Mai on either side of her. The polished black stone had since been scrubbed clean, unsatisfactorily so. The wetness of the blood was gone, but Azula could still see where it had fallen, the stain of the blood that pooled from her father’s throat, the darkness of the spots where droplets had splattered. It was still there, no matter how many times she ordered it to be scrubbed away. The damned idiots employed to clean claimed to not be able to see the stain.

Lazy. Fools. They would have one more chance to properly clean this throne before they were banished.

A large map of the Earth Kingdom was laid out before her, the same map that had been used at the last war meeting Zuko had attended. A snarl nearly escaped her lips at the thought of her brother. The advisors and generals were gathered around it, moving pieces across the map to better illustrate their points and their plans for the comet.

None met her eyes. They thought she wouldn’t notice. Of course she noticed. Azula picked up on everything, every last minute detail of everything. It was what brought her here, the youngest Fire Lord in a century, the first woman to rule in even longer, and she was not about to let her attention to detail waste away now.

They did not meet her eyes because they did not trust her. Her fists, hidden within the sweeping sleeves of her robes, clenched at the thought. Her subjects _should_ trust her. It was _she_ who should not be so trusting. They kept themselves guarded, and she heard it in the timbre of their voices, saw it in their eyes when they looked her way- not at _her_ , but at the throne _,_ at the stone darkened with the previous Fire Lord’s blood.

“-Fire Lord?”

Azula’s eyes snapped up from the tile, where the stain had seemed deepest, almost wet, to the advisor that had addressed her.

“What?” she snapped, staring the old man down. He suspected. He too could see the blood, he knew its source and knew that her fingertips, still hidden by her sleeves, were red with her father’s blood-

“Is there anything more you wish to discuss, Fire Lord Azula? These are the plans, as they were drafted with the approval of your late father.”

The fool mistakenly looked her in the eye, and she stared him down, daring him to say what she knew he was thinking about, what he wanted to say. But he stayed silent, awaiting her response.

“No.” She ran her thumb across her fingertips, still feeling the sticky blood no matter how many times she had scrubbed at her hands. “We are finished.”

She made no motion to leave, to turn her back on them. And so she remained where she was, watching the men make their way from the room, but still she did not relax. The heavy oak doors shut, she stood and faced bodyguards.

There was no one else she trusted her life to, only because they could not think for themselves. Perhaps she should reeducate all her subjects, mold them to act only out of her will, to be but an extension of herself. For who else could she trust but herself?

Jet and Mai were perfect now. Or nearly. When they were awake, when they were with her, she knew she was safe. The fear came for while they slept. She had not forgotten how, upon waking, that was when they were most impressionable, how Mai had managed to undo all the work that had been done unto Jet’s mind.

They slept in shifts, locked away down in the dungeon, where Azula knew they could not harm her. This left far too much time where she was only guarded by one. Unacceptable.

She would need a third.

* * *

Aang was gone.

The whole of Ember Island was searched, and there was no sign of him. Small debates arose, of varying hypothesizes of where Aang could have gone to, none of which made any sense (though, Ty Lee made a mental note to ask Aang about the Spirit World…whenever they found him again). Eventually, it was decided that Zuko, having the most experience tracking Aang across the world, would lead the search.

And…for some reason he took them to the Earth Kingdom.

Ty Lee wanted to question Zuko about this decision, as it seemed…wrong. Aang had not left using his glider or Appa, so there was no way he could have gone all the way to the Earth Kingdom in just one night. And, the Earth Kingdom was in the opposite direction of Caldera, and at the very least, they did need to go there to stop Azula…. But if everyone else could just trust in Zuko, she could to.

Besides, she and Zuko had argued enough recently.

It was a little strange, to think about. Ty Lee never argued with anyone. It wasn’t that she did not carry her own opinions; clearly, she did, it was simply easier to be agreeable, to keep the peace and everyone’s auras happy.

But with Zuko, she felt strangely comfortable pushing back when she disagreed. There was no fear, she realized, no fear of retaliation. With Azula, there certainly had been plenty of times she had been afraid to speak up, knowing that Azula was not above using scathing words or even small acts of physical retaliation. Not Zuko, though. Ty Lee knew he would never purposely hurt her. She could trust him.

Maybe this was also what friendship looked like.

In a seedy tavern in the Earth Kingdom, they found a bounty hunter that Zuko apparently had some sort of history with. While unable to track Aang, the shirshu was able to pick up Prince Iroh’s trail, and led them even further into the Earth Kingdom, all the way to Ba Sing Se.

She had never expected to find herself in Ba Sing Se again.

Of course, they never reached the actual c _ity_. They had barely made it past the broken outer wall when they were greeted by several old men, only one of which Ty Lee recognized from his wanted posters and another being that funny king from the city Mai had been living in. Sokka and Katara, however, knew all of them, it seemed.

Introductions were made, and Zuko was shown to the tent where Prince Iroh was while everyone else was served a hot dinner. Ty Lee ate heartily as Masters Piandao and Pakku explained who they were. She tried to pay attention, but this was the first meal they’d had since dinner the night before; with the urgent need to find Aang, all other meals had been forgotten.

She understood the gist of it. A secret society of old people that spanned the whole world, disregarding borders and nationalities. Sounded like the kind of thing that Sokka would join one day.

The sun set, and Zuko had still not emerged from Prince Iroh’s tent, so accommodations were made. A tent was provided for them, and while it was a bit cramped, Ty Lee felt rather…at home. This was normal to her. Small sleeping spaces, nearly on top of the person closest, rather how she and Mai had slept while traveling with Azula, or in the wagon with the circus, or even as a child in the room she shared with her sisters.

Despite the circumstances, it was the best sleep she had in weeks.

* * *

Mai followed orders.

She stood at Azula’s side. She watched for threats. She waited for Azula to give her an order.

Mai spoke to no one, not even Jet; Jet, who was always with Azula and always silent, just like Mai.

She never listened in. She was always listening, observing, but not retaining anything unless it was a command from her Fire Lord. So while she was present for war meetings, she did not remember them. While she witnessed the former Fire Lord’s death, it left no impression.

And though, when it was just her and Jet and Azula, and Azula would speak at length in long, run-on sentences about loyalty and trustworthiness, the words were meaningless. She was but an empty vessel, waiting for her Fire Lord’s will.

The only time she was ever apart from Azula was when she was sent down into the dungeons to sleep. Agents in dark green and light green with strange hats would lock her in to a cell that was dim and small, and lacked any bed. It never occurred to Mai that this should be strange.

But, the straw on which she was supposed to sleep smelled. It smelled strongly and horrifically, and kept her awake often, no matter how hard she attempted to follow Azula’s orders to sleep. The first night, she struggled through it, only managing a few hours of sleep. The second night, Mai curled up near the cell door, on the stone floor, but it was cold and hard, and again she found difficulty in falling asleep.

This was the third night. She could feel the exhaustion in her body, despite everything. She would sleep tonight. Mai would find a way, for her Fire Lord willed it.

On the far end of the cell, there was dirt on the ground, visible where the straw was thin. The dirt would be more comfortable than the stone, and hopefully less carry less odor than the straw. On her knees, she swept the straw away, and stared.

Etched into the dirt was writing.

_My name is Mai._

This was true.

_I have a younger brother, Tom-Tom._

Mai cocked her head. The words felt like a lie and slipped from her mind so quickly when she looked away, but there was a strange emotion that perked up inside her, that had first emerged when she read that name….

What name?

It did not matter. It was gone.

Again she looked down, ready to sleep, but read the words in front of her once more.

_My name is Mai. I have a younger brother, Tom-Tom-_

(And again, that burst of emotion, something familial and warm)

- _My parents are Ukano and Michi, they live in New Ozai. My boyfriend is Prince Zuko._

(Once again, a strange emotion filled her, though there was a strange sadness, a longing with that warmth)

_My best friend is Ty Lee. Jet is another victim of Azula’s wrath-_

(And that felt wrong, the wording felt as if it was attacking Azula, which was not true)

Mai once again did not sleep well, but for an entirely new reason.

* * *

In the morning, Zuko and Prince Iroh joined them around the fire, and this was, perhaps, the most at ease Ty Lee had ever seen Zuko. It had been years since she had seen Zuko and his uncle together, probably not long before Ozai had banished him. Zuko’s aura was the brightest she had seen it since then.

It was especially warming when Prince Iroh greeted her.

“Young Miss Ty Lee,” he said, spooning out some sort of rice porridge from a pot, handing her the bowl. “I must admit, it is a bit of a surprise to see you here, though it is certainly not an unpleasant one. It brings me great joy to see out beyond my niece’s shadow.”

Ty Lee blushed, and bowed as properly as she could with a bowl in her hands. “Thank you, Prince Iroh. It’s- it’s really all Zuko’s doing that I am here.”

And Iroh smiled at that, almost knowingly. “It has always been within Zuko’s power to influence those around him. I am glad to see he is doing it for good.”

Across the fire, Zuko blushed.

Once everyone else had been served their breakfast, Iroh joined them. “Prince Zuko has informed me of what has happened,” he said. “I had hoped, when intel arrived of my brother’s passing and Azula’s rise to the throne, that the information was bad. I feel I do not need to explain how dangerous my niece is, more so than my brother had been.”

Ty Lee nodded, though mostly to herself as she ate. Azula was able to take over Ba Sing Se in just a few days. Azula was cunning. Azula was vindictive.

And, she could not help but also remind herself that, right now, Azula was alone, that right now, Azula had no friends with her.

The thought made her sad. Others would tell her, if they knew, that Azula did not deserve to have friends, that it was the Fire Lord’s own doing that she was on her own. Ty Lee didn’t care.

“Zuko has also told me that the Avatar is missing, and what lies ahead for when the comet arrives tomorrow. These are…grave circumstances.”

“Aang will be back,” Katara spoke up. “He wouldn’t just abandon us this close to the comet.”

“Katara’s right. Twinkle-toes knows how important this is,” Toph chimed in her support.

“Good,” Iroh nodded thoughtfully. “But support will be needed. This battle will not only be against Azula.”

Zuko cleared his throat. “That’s what I was hoping you could help with, Uncle. I- The blame has been put on me, for my father’s death. If I am part of the battle to dethrone Azula, it will only look like I- that I’m just trying to take the throne from her, not end the war. If that’s how I become Fire Lord…. I don’t think it will go well.”

“It won’t, you are right.” Iroh set his bowl down in front of him. “There will likely be retaliation, and the war could continue. You are right to stay away from Azula. But I will not be joining you. My fight is here, for Ba Sing Se.”

“Uncle!” Zuko protested, but Iroh only shook his head.

“I dreamt once, that I would conquer this great city. I understand now that my dream was not about conquering it in the name of the Fire Nation, but liberating it instead. This is where I need to be. Zuko, you must think about where it is _you_ need to be.”

All was quiet around the circle as Zuko considered Iroh’s words.

“…There are going to be several airships used to burn the Earth Kingdom. They’re based not far from the Fire Nation archipelago. While Aang fights Azula, I think we should keep them from doing much damage.” He looked to Sokka, and then around at everyone else. “Think we can handle that?”

Ty Lee nodded eagerly, though she still didn’t know the first thing about piloting any of them, and Toph piped up with, “A giant flying hunk of metal? Piece of cake!”

* * *

It was the evening before the arrival of Sozin’s comet when Azula boarded a small airship that would take her to where all the preparations had been laid out. It would take nearly the entire night to arrive to where the other airships were stationed, and it was intended for the Fire Lord to sleep while in route.

Sleep, of course, did not happen. Sleep required one to be at ease, comfortable, safe.

How could she sleep when everyone around her would betray her in a second?

Azula paced the length of her quarters. Mai and Jet were stationed on either side of her door, eyes straight ahead. Every so often she would glance at them, and sneer; they were here, but they were no company. There was no one here for _her_ , no one she could trust, and she _hated_ them for it.

She was still in the regal, ceremonial robes fit for a Fire Lord, the stupid wide sweeping sleeves and hems so long she could trip over them. Or was that the purpose? To make her slow and useless, weak and defenseless?

Azula paused in her step, eyes wide with realization. Yes. Of course it was.

“Mai!”

Mai shifted her head, so that her eyes rested on Azula, as if she actually saw her. Could she even see anything, know what was going on? Azula doubted it.

“My armor for tomorrow, fetch it!” Azula gestured to the trunk that was at the end of the bed she was supposed to be sleeping it. “Dress me!”

And quieter, as Mai stepped forward, fulfilling her wishes, she added, “They’ll not catch me off guard, there will be no slip ups on my part.”

* * *

They had waited as late as they could to leave the Order of the White Lotus’ camp, to allow Appa as much time as possible to rest. Sokka and Toph were the only ones who had any armor with them, though Toph just opted for the arm braces. When Sokka emerged from the tent wearing his Water Tribe armor, Ty Lee let out a squeak.

“Ah! You just look so handsome!” she cried, before grinning at Suki. “Gosh, you are lucky!”

Suki let out a small laugh as Sokka, apparently to stunned by Ty Lee’s reaction to do anything at all, just stared at Ty Lee with a confused look. The Kyoshi Warrior merely said, “I know,” and planted a kiss on Sokka’s cheek.

In the background, Katara rolled her eyes and continued to pack up Appa.

Goodbyes were said to the old men as the sun was setting, and then they were off on their long flight back toward the Fire Nation. Sokka and Zuko decided to sleep in shifts, to keep Appa on course, and to allow everyone else to sleep through the night.

No one slept much. Ty Lee dozed here and there, but her thoughts (as she assumed everyone else’s) were on what was to come. Would Aang be there to fight Azula? And if he wasn’t, who was going to? Or would they only focus on disarming the fleet of airships? And how were they even going to do that?

Even as the endless questions and anxiety rolled through her, Ty Lee knew that, no matter what, she was going to help however she could.

* * *

Azula watched the sunrise, and breathed in deep. The sky was a brilliant orange, brighter and more encompassing than it had ever been in her life, and the sea she was facing reflected that fiery, regal color. Deep inside, she felt the fire within her grow stronger, gaining heat and power with each breath.

It was exhilarating.

The power spread through her, to her fingers and to the soles of her feet; it was everywhere and it was intoxicating, and she wanted this feeling to last forever. Without at doubt, at this moment, she was the most powerful bender in the world.

The warships were ready, the chosen firebenders within each ship and at the ready. They were only waiting on her. It was time.

She approached the airship- her airship, more ornate and beautiful than the others, of course- with her head held high, her bodyguards flanked behind her.

But, Azula paused on the ramp that led up to the cabin of the airship, movement out of the corner of her eye catching her attention. As she turned to examine what it could be, her eyes widened, and she vaulted herself from the ramp, propelling herself backward with firebending. Seconds later, a boulder came crashing into the ship, followed by another, and another.

Mai and Jet were unscathed by the sudden attack, running to where Azula had landed, as they were conditioned to, and placing themselves on either side. Jet had his hook blades drawn; Mai held several blades between her fingers, and both were searching for their nearby attacker, ready to defend their Fire Lord.

Azula narrowed her eyes at the distance, as an advisor came running to ensure her safety. She put a hand up, halting the man, and said, “Keep with the plan. I’ll take care of this.”

Across the rocky field, atop a strange formation, stood the Avatar, all by himself. Her lips turned upward in a cruel smirk. One juvenile Avatar against a prodigal firebender at the height of her power? It was laughable.

Still, better to use Jet and Mai to their full advantage.

“Get him.”

* * *

As they approached the coast on Appa’s back, they were greeted with the sight of the warships raising into the air.

“We’re too late,” Ty Lee gasped, watching as ship after ship moved forward, coming toward them and the Earth Kingdom behind them.

“No,” Sokka said, determined. “No, we can still take them down. We just have to-”

“Look! It’s Aang!”

Katara was nearly hanging off the side of the saddle, she was leaning so far over to point. They all- except for Toph- clamored over to that side to look. While Katara was right, it was Aang, it certainly was not an image to celebrate. He was fighting against three others, one of which was bending unmistakable blue fire.

“Azula,” Zuko exhaled bitterly.

As they came closer, two things became apparent. The first being that the other two who were fighting were Jet and Mai (and Ty Lee had to physically gulp to squash down any and all negative emotions that came with it), and that Aang was not doing well.

“We have to help him!” Katara cried.

“We can’t!” Zuko argued back. “I can’t go into that fight, remember?”

“But Aang needs us!”

“Not all of us,” Sokka pointed out. “Just one or two, to keep Mai and Jet away from him; we are going to need the majority of us to take on the airships.”

Ty Lee looked down at the fight below, at her friend and…boyfriend? Potential boyfriend? They never had a chance to become much more than a short summer romance and she did not know what to call Jet.

“I’ll go, I’ll help Katara,” she volunteered. “I can chi block them, get them to stop fighting.”

It was decided. Sokka took Appa down, to land on a hill overlooking the rocky landscape and the fight happening just beyond it. Katara and Ty Lee hopped out, and with a word of encouragement, the rest of the gang flew off, to go after the airships.

Katara and Ty Lee locked eyes, and nodded. “Let’s do this.”

They ran down the small hill, Ty Lee with the advantage of her powerful legs to propel herself forward. She could provide the greatest help first; they were too far from the shore just yet for Katara to her bending into play at full power. But Ty Lee, she could use her chi blocking, disarm Jet, disarm Mai (and she shoved down the darkness inside, at the knowledge that Mai was now just like Jet), and get them out of harm’s way until Aang defeated Azula.

The amount of fire that Azula was creating was incredible, terrifying. Every blast of blue flame that she shot at Aang seemed immense, Ty Lee could feel the heat even with such distance between them. Aang was putting up a brilliant defense, but with his focus spread between three attackers, he was continually being pushed back, never striking back.

Mai was closest, able to keep her distance from Aang due to her ranged use of knife throwing, and that was who Ty Lee targeted first. Forcing herself to forget that Mai was her friend, she ran at her from behind, and it was a relief to know that this would be so simple, that Mai would be immobilized so swiftly-

But when Ty Lee jabbed her arm into the first pressure point on her side, instead of feeling the give of skin and muscle, her fingertips connected solidly with _metal_. She cried out, clutching her hand- it felt like she had nearly broken her fingers!- as Mai turned around, staring at her.

Mai had an aura. It was not Mai’s aura, though; this was weak, this was grey and small, and-

Ty Lee leapt back as Mai swiped at her, blade in hand, only missing her by a hair.

_No, no, no!_ This was not the way this was supposed to go!

“Mai, it’s me-”

Ty Lee ended her plea in a shriek, for an array of stilettos were sent flying at her; she dropped to the ground, then sprang up, vaulting herself over Mai’s head. There was no time to try to plead with her and reason with her, for the first time in her life, Ty Lee found herself at the receiving end up Mai’s attacks.

The only thing she could do was use her gymnastics to constantly avoid the knives. This was not exactly as helpful as disabling the knife thrower, but at least Mai was no longer attacking Aang.

“How’s that chi blocking coming?” she heard Katara yell from somewhere nearby, along with the unmistakable sound of a water whip cutting through the air and striking a target, and Ty Lee tried not to imagine how much that must have hurt Jet.

“I can’t!” Ty Lee called out, backflipping away from Mai. “She’s wearing armor!”

There was some sort of garbled yell from Katara, certainly more from frustration than anything else. “Jet looks like he is too!”

Another flip and a dodge, and Ty Lee found herself standing beside Katara, who had managed to knock Jet back quite a ways. When Mai threw her next round of stilettos, Katara bent a wall of ice between them and Mai, shielding them for the moment.

"Let’s get them to the water,” Katara said, gesturing to the lake with a nod. “I’ll freeze them there, and we’ll go from there.”

Ty Lee nodded, her eyes on Jet. She would do better with him than Katara could. Quick dodges would be more helpful than water whips against his attacks. Taking in a deep breath, she ran at Jet. He, like Mai, had a weak, grey aura. This was so troubling; what did it mean?

He slashed at her with his hooks, and she would jump and flip and dodge out of the way, almost like a dance. It was a surprise, when he used one blade caught on the end of the other to extend his reach, the sharp blades at the handle cutting at Ty Lee with a shocking amount of precision.

Somewhere nearby, there were thunderous crashes, of metal hitting metal, and Ty Lee could only hope that was due to the others being successful in disarming the airships.

A sharp cry from Katara cut through the air, causing Ty Lee to pause, to look for her friend. Not far from the shore of the lake was Mai, mostly frozen in a wave of ice, only her head and one hand free. Several yards away, Katara was clutching her forearm, a knife stuck in it.

She never had a chance to react, to call for Katara, for there was the swish of the tiger blades and the small kick of wind as they cut through the air, and suddenly there was a sharp pain cutting across her cheek. Ty Lee screamed, leaping back, one hand pressed to her cheek, and she could feel the wet of her blood pooling under her fingers.

Across from her, Jet merely stared, body tense and at the ready for the next attack.

They were close enough, and Ty Lee did not know how much more she could continue to dodge his attacks.

“Katara, now!” She had seen her do greater bending than this before; she could freeze Jet where he stood.

“I can’t!” Katara attempted the movement required, with only one hand, and the water in the lake rippled and resisted her bending.

Ty Lee side jumped as Jet resumed his attacks. “How are we going to stop him?!”

“I don’t know!”

She kept dodging him, leading him away from Katara, feeling useless to do much of anything else, but this was not going to last! Chi blocking was the only fighting Ty Lee knew, and with those wicked hooks, Jet could do far worse damage to her than she could to him.

Another swing of the blades, and the leg of her pants was torn open. This was getting too close. If he managed to get a hit on a leg, she would be done for.

“Wait! Ty Lee! His left leg! Go for his leg!”

Ty Lee ducked as the blades came cutting across at her head. “What?”

“Just trust me!” Katara called to her. “Strike his left calf, hard!”

She was forced back again, and this time, Ty Lee took several more bounding flips away from him. Her cheek stung, she could feel blood from the wound seeping down her neck as she caught her breath. The leg. This would take some tricky maneuvering. She watched Jet as he came closer, and told herself that soon, he would be back to normal. Soon, he would know who she was, he wouldn’t be fighting her.

Soon.

At the last possible second, as Jet once again attempted to hit her, Ty Lee leapt forward, pushing off of Jet’s shoulders to keep her momentum, forcing him to stumble. As she landed, she twisted, coiling, and sprang back toward him, leg extended, hoping that Katara knew what she was talking about.

There was a thunderous _crack_ as her foot connected with Jet’s leg; he let out a howl and fell, dropping his blades. Ty Lee was quick to kick them away, well out of his reach, and it was only as she looked back at him that she saw the damage she had caused. His leg was bent now between knee and ankle. Her stomach turned at the sight.

“I’m sorry!” she cried, hands over her mouth, and if Katara hadn’t urged her to immobilize Jet, she probably would have been stuck standing there, frozen at the damage she had caused to him. Swallowing her nausea and horror, Ty Lee fell to her knees by Jet, struggling to remove his armor as he attempted to fight her off with his hands, his jabs at her weak as the pain of his broken leg distracted him. She managed to remove it partially, just enough to get a hand through and jab at the pressure points for his arms, and they fell limply to the ground. From there, it was somewhat easier, only fighting the dead weight of his body to fully remove the armor. She tossed it to the side as best she could, and finished chi blocking him, so he was not able to move at all.

The grunts and whimpers of pain from Jet stopped the moment he was paralyzed; at least it helped to block the pain.

Katara had managed to pull Mai’s blade from her arm and had used her bending to heal the wound, however it was easy to see this was not a thorough job, but a quick one. She would need to tend to it later when they had the chance.

“Help me with Mai,” Katara said, appearing as if she wasn’t in any pain at all, though that had to be far from the truth. “I’ll melt the ice just enough, so you can chi block her.”

Together they approached Mai, who was still struggling to free herself from the ice, with no luck at all.

“How did she manage to hit you?” Ty Lee asked as she stood by Katara while she slowly melted select parts of the ice from around Mai. “Or how did you freeze her?”

“It happened simultaneously,” Katara explained, frowning as the ice at Mai’s back became water, melting down into the ground below. “Quick, get under her armor- She thew the knife as I froze her.”

In just a few moments, Mai became immobilized, just as Jet had been. Ty Lee remained by Mai’s side as Katara melted the ice and caught her when she was freed, laying her down gently on the ground. Familiar with the ways and places that Mai would hide and store her blades, Ty Lee set about removing them; from her pockets, strapped to her forearms and wrists and calves, in her boots, and holsters of blades hidden within her robes at the hips.

Katara let out a low whistle at the growing pile of knives. “Where does she keep them all?”

“Everywhere,” Ty Lee grunted, tossing the last one, and sat back on her heels.

This was done. Jet and Mai were weaponless, unable to move. The danger here was gone.

Apparently able to read her thoughts, Katara looked off, over the hill they had come down, where Aang and Azula had disappeared over. Bursts of flame, blue and orange, would appear over the horizon for an instant, before disappearing. “Do you think he’s okay?”

“He’s the Avatar,” Ty Lee reminded her. That was his fight, not theirs. “He’ll be fine.”

Katara didn’t seem convinced, and Ty Lee couldn’t bring herself to continue to console her. She looked over at Jet, lying on his own, and then back down at Mai, and frowned at the expression on her face. Cold, angry, bitter. Not like Mai at all.

She would see to Jet soon. But Mai…. Mai came first.

“Mai, it’s me, it’s Ty Lee,” she spoke softly, forcing a smile, as she held her hand. Whether Mai could feel it or not, she wasn’t sure, but she needed her to know that she was there for her. “Come on, you remember me, right? We’ve known each other forever. We would play together at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls, and we’d pass notes in class, you remember? You always thought I was annoying, but you were so nice to me anyway, and we became- we were friends, right? Real friends? You remember, Mai. Mai?”

There was no change in her expression. Ty Lee’s bottom lip began to quiver as she felt the tears coming. It was one thing for Jet to be like this, but Mai…. Ty Lee couldn’t let her stay like this, and continued through her tears.

“Remember something, Mai- Tom-Tom! You have to remember Tom-Tom, your little brother! You love him so much, Mai, and I can’t imagine how much it must have hurt you to go along with what Azula did back in New Ozai.”

Mai blinked, and Ty Lee swore she saw something softer in Mai’s gaze for an instant.

“That’s it! Think about Tom-Tom, and your parents. I- I don’t know much about Tom-Tom, but he’s, oh he seemed so cute, Mai.” Another flicker of s _omething_. “And there’s- there’s Zuko, think of Zuko. You risked your life to save him, and he has been so worried about you. I’ve gotten to know him so well recently, and Mai- listen to me, Mai- you are so lucky to have someone like Zuko care about you as much as he does. So you have to wake up, so you can see him again!”

More blinking, faster, and Ty Lee could almost see that it was some sort of struggle, but then, her expression softened, and there was _concern_ , actual concern in her eyes.

“Zuko,” Mai managed to say, before shutting her eyes tightly, grunting, as if in pain. “Where- what-”

“Mai!” Ty Lee cried, doubling over to hug her tightly, as her tears overcame her, and she just sobbed into her friend’s shoulder. Mai was back. Mai was herself again.

Ty Lee finally let herself feel all fear and concern and uncertainty that she had bottled down at the very sight of her, and just let those feelings wash out of her, leaving only relief. All she could do was hold Mai and cry.

Everything was going to be okay.

“Oh my- _spirits_ , what is happening?”

Ty Lee looked up at Katara’s sudden gasp, wiping her tears away, and took in a sharp breath. Breaking out over the crest of the hill was a bright blue beam of light, and then orange. They stared, awestruck, as the blue light began to grow thinner, smaller, as the orange seemed to overtake it, before the blue became brighter and brilliant, and drowned out the orange until it was gone.

And then the lights faded away, as if they had never been.

“What was that?” Ty Lee wondered.

“I don’t know.” Katara had a strange expression, almost serene. “But I think…. I think Aang just won.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this! I will be honest in admitting that I struggle to write action scenes, so hopefully this flowed somewhat smoothly. Any tips for action sequences would be greatly appreciated. 
> 
> There will finally be some Jet and Ty Lee moments in the next chapter. The kids have been apart for too long, eh?
> 
> Please let me know what you think! Thanks!
> 
> Also, I have a Tumblr now? I don't understand Tumblr. But I am trying. [Here it is.](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/soozenwrites)


	13. Leave Our Tracks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the war is over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I posted this like ten minutes ago, then went to cross post it on ff.net, and the version I was putting on ff.net was unfinished and so I panicked and thought that what I posted here was unfinished, and deleted the chapter.
> 
> It was not the unfinished version. It was this version. 
> 
> I am very tired. I had a long weekend of work and and water damage and mold discovered in my house and staying in hotels and with family, and I was not thinking straight.
> 
> Anyway, here's the chapter that was originally posted, now posted again. Sorry.
> 
> Please enjoy.

Iroh was crowned Fire Lord.

It was not anyone’s first choice, from what Ty Lee could understand. Iroh had apparently long since given up any dreams of ruling their nation, while Zuko had been preparing to step into the role upon the war’s end. But Azula stood by her claim that Zuko was who she saw assassinate their father, with only Zuko and Aang’s word against hers.

Obviously, the rest of the group could easily testify that Zuko had not been anywhere near the capital city when his father was killed, but the word of two Water Tribe siblings, a former prisoner of the Boiling Rock, and a traitor to the nation wasn’t going to mean much.

With Zuko’s credibility called into question, Iroh was the only suitable person to take up the crown in Azula’s wake, and though he did not officially pardon Zuko (as he maintained that the prince was, in fact, innocent of the crime he was accused of), he did deem him under ‘house arrest’ until the true killer was found. Ty Lee was surprised at how easily Iroh was able to make this happen, but according to Zuko and Iroh, Azula was not who she once was.

They implied her mind had…weakened in some way. She could feel Zuko dancing around the severity of Azula’s condition, but she didn’t push it further. If whatever had happened was enough to have Azula locked away in a hospital, Ty Lee wasn’t certain she wanted to know how bad things were.

In the wake of the end of the war, the palace was filled with more people than Ty Lee had ever seen it, As a child, the halls had seemed so empty and large, the rooms incredibly vast for such a small number of people to reside in it. One wing of the palace had been turned into a sort of lodging for all the guests, as Iroh had called all of them. Ty Lee found herself staying at the palace, despite her parent’s house located fairly close by.

It was easier to visit Mai and Jet that way.

A small nursing quarter had been set up for the two of them, not far from the guest wing. The damage that had been done to their minds had been extensive. Mai had started to come back on that beach, the day the war had ended, but only just barely. She would stare at Ty Lee, and later at Zuko, and there would be recognition in her eyes as she spoke their names, but there was a struggle as well, a fight to stay present that Mai would ultimately fail over and over. The blank look would come over her, and then Zuko and Ty Lee would be pushing for her to remember again, to come back to the front, and sometimes it would work.

The Dai Li agents that Azula had retained were found, and interrogated over what, exactly, had been done to them. Zuko had relayed all they confessed to later, to following Azula’s strict instructions to wipe their memories completely. It was experimental, they had said, that they had no certainty that what they were doing would work. Mai received that brainwashing only once, and that was why, the agents had theorized, Mai was able to fight her way past that conditioning. Jet had his mind wiped nearly a dozen times.

Ty Lee tried not to think about what that could mean for him.

She entered the nursing quarter with the usual spring in her step, humming to herself. It had once been a tea room, if Ty Lee’s memory served correctly, but now was sectioned off with curtains and filled with medical supplies. Most were unnecessary, she supposed, except for Jet’s broken leg. Katara had done what she could to heal the break, but that was on top of an old injury that hadn’t healed quite properly. Pushing back one curtain, she was greeted by the sight of Mai, sitting up in bed, with Zuko in a chair beside her.

“Good afternoon, Mai!” Ty Lee greeted with a grin, sitting down on the bed by Mai’s feet.

Mai nodded to her, expression passive, but that was not necessarily a bad thing. “Hi… Ty Lee.”

Ty Lee’s smile only broadened. “Right! You remembered!”

Some days were better than others for Mai. Her aura had grown stronger, though not exactly brighter (but Mai had never had a very bright aura), and her personality was coming back bit by bit. It was her memory that evaded her.

“Zuko was telling me about you,” Mai said slowly, her brows coming closer together as she concentrated. “That we….”

“Would play with Azula,” Zuko supplied gently for her.

Zuko had hardly left Mai’s side upon being reunited. Ty Lee tried to give them privacy when she could, but Mai was her friend too. She was just as concerned for her recovery as he was.

“…Hide and seek, I think. Right?”

“Yes!” Ty Lee confirmed. “Azula _always_ won, but she also cheated.” She let out a small giggle. “Do you remember anything else we did?”

“I think….” Mai exhaled then shook her head, her eyes closed as she touched gently to her temple. “I can’t.”

Ty Lee attempted to share a sympathetic look with Zuko, but he looked excited, overjoyed, actually, but before she could question what that was about, a nurse drew back the curtain. The nurse looked over the three of them, and Ty Lee was on her feet before she could tell them to vacate the room, that it was time for a healing session.

The healing sessions were experimental, but everything done to heal Jet and Mai was experimental. No one knew quite how to fix what had been done to them, not even the Dai Li. An attempt had been made, using their techniques, to pull Jet out from his own mind. It had been an utter failure.

The nurse was using some form of firebending, much akin to how Katara used waterbending to heal. It did appear to be working, albeit slowly.

When the nurse pulled the curtain back, shutting Zuko and Ty Lee out of Mai’s section of the room, Ty Lee playfully bumped her hip against him.

“What was that look for?” she questioned. “When Mai tried to remember how we played but couldn’t?”

Zuko was still smiling to himself, arms folded across his chest as he continued to look to where Mai was behind the curtain. “I hadn’t told her about hide and seek.”

“ _Really_?” Ty Lee almost shrieked.

“Yeah.” He looked at her, still smiling. “She’s coming back.”

Her heart felt full. Ty Lee couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so full of hope and relief, and she wanted to hold onto this feeling. Overwhelmed, barely in control of herself, she flung her arms around Zuko’s neck, hugging him tightly. “Oh gosh, I’m so happy!”

Zuko’s voice was subdued, low, but she could hear his smile when he spoke. “Me too.”

He was no longer stiff when she hugged him, Ty Lee had noticed. In fact, often he returned the hug, as he did now. He was softening up; being around Mai did that. And probably the lack of Ozai or Azula to toy with his head allowed him to relax a lot more.

“Uncle asked me to have tea with him,” Zuko said as Ty Lee stepped back. “Did you want to come? The healing sessions tend to take a while.”

She shook her head. “No, I’m going to see how Jet’s doing.”

Zuko’s aura darkened ever so slightly, as it always did when Jet was brought up. “Okay. Yeah. Just, uh…. don’t get your hopes up, okay?”

He always did this, maybe because she would visit Mai first, and her progress was substantially better than Jet’s.

“I know,” Ty Lee agreed. “I’ll see you later, okay?”

Zuko nodded, and hesitated, but seemed to swallow whatever he was going to say before leaving the room. Ty Lee watched him go, then took in a deep breath before entering Jet’s space.

“Hi Jet,” she said warmly, brightly, as if he might recognize her this time. But, instead of seeing a cocky grin or a flirty smirk, she was greeted with a low, monotone voice, as usual.

Jet was laying in the bed, where he had been left from his morning healing sessions with Katara. He never moved without being told to, and if it weren’t for how he watched everyone and everything, Ty Lee could be fooled into thinking he might be in a coma.

This was how Jet had been when they finally managed to get him out of Azula’s control. It had taken some time, and a lot of chi blocking to keep Jet from attacking them, before Sokka had come up with the idea that, maybe if they used the trigger phrase, he would come out of it. That hadn’t exactly worked, though Ty Lee was careful to keep anyone else from overhearing her when she whispered the phrase into his ear. The fewer the number of people who knew how to render Jet under their control, the better, she was certain, and none had argued with her.

Ty Lee hadn’t been able to bring Jet back to normal, but she had been able to make him understand that they were not the enemy, that he was not aligned with Azula.

She took a seat beside him on the bed, resting her hand gently on his. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here this morning, I had to visit my parents. They’ve been worried, I think. But Katara told me she spent most of the morning with you, that she talked to you about the Freedom Fighters. She’s told me a little about them. I can’t wait for you to tell me about them too. What it was like living in the trees; that sounds so exciting. Do you remember anything about that?”

“No.”

Jet’s response was not a surprise; Katara had relayed as much. But there was always the chance that, maybe, he would remember. Biting her lip, Ty Lee eased herself onto the bed beside him, laying flush against Jet’s side, and let her arm rest upon his chest. She had often daydreamed about lounging this way with Jet, but had always imagined his arm around her, telling her about some thrilling tale.

Not like this.

For a while, she merely lay with him, feeling his heartbeat through his shirt, wishing for him to come back.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, and it was the same apology that she gave every day. “I’m sorry I did this. I should have stood up to Azula at the beginning. I knew….I knew she was up to something, and I didn’t stop her. I should have been braver. I’m so, so sorry, Jet.”

Her eyes squeezed shut, and she took in slow, regulating breaths, to keep herself from crying.

“Sometimes…. Sometimes I wish we hadn’t met. If we hadn’t met, I would never have made Azula so curious about you, and you would…still be you.”

It was useless to fight against the tears. Every visit to Jet resulted like this.

Zuko always told her not to get her hopes up, which was kind of him. He simply did not want her to get hurt. But she knew that she absolutely could not give up hope that Jet would come back. The alternative was just to awful to consider.

* * *

Three weeks had passed since Iroh was crowned Fire Lord. Things were finally starting to settle down, from what Ty Lee could pick up on.

Mai was no longer in the hospital wing. Her memory had come back to a point where the nurse felt it might be more beneficial for her to return home, to a familiar setting, to further facilitate her recovery. Zuko hated this. He was forbidden from leaving the palace, after all. But Ty Lee had a suspicion he was sneaking out at night and returning before dawn. He was always so exhausted at breakfast, and some days, missed their morning meditation entirely.

It had primarily been just Katara and Suki that joined Ty Lee every morning for yoga and meditation. Aang would be there when he could but being the Avatar at the end of the war, he was constantly pulled away, usually dragging Sokka with him when he could for extra advice. But now, more frequently, Aang was around.

Ty Lee wished she had more time to spend with Aang. At Suki’s insistence, Ty Lee was still training her how to chi block, taking up most of the mornings, which was perfect. Katara would try her own hand at healing Jet’s mind in the morning, and nearly always wanted privacy, quiet while she worked. In the afternoons, Ty Lee would remain with Jet, sometimes through dinner.

She wasn’t always alone when she was with Jet, and that was fine. In fact, sometimes she preferred it, since she had so little to talk to him about that he would know. They had only had a short little romance before all of this happened. Sokka had tried to tell her once that they knew only a little more than she did of Jet’s history, but they had traveled with him for weeks and weeks. They would have a stronger connection than she would.

She and Katara were keeping Jet company, though conversation had been exhausted. Katara had tried talking to Jet about people with strange nicknames, Smellerbee and Longshot, how they had saved Jet from Lake Laogai, in the hopes that would somehow trigger his memory. Topics and people with a strong emotional connection had worked with Mai, so they could only assume that was the best approach with Jet as well.

But it hadn’t been. Nothing had worked.

“Ty Lee, Iroh asked me about Jet the other night.” Katara spoke slowly from her seat by Jet’s head, looking down at him. There was tension in her forehead. “He wanted to know if he was getting any better, and… I was honest with him. He isn’t getting better.”

Ty Lee nodded along, saying nothing. What sort of response was to be expected of that statement? That it was useless to continue? Certainly not. 

“And he suggested that, maybe, we have done all we can here. I don’t know what else I can do for Jet anymore. It’s just the same thing every day with no change.”

“So we’re just going to give up on him?” Ty Lee stared incredulously at Katara. “Just let him remain like this-”

Katara quickly waved her hands to signify that was not the case. “No, that’s not what I’m saying at all,” she clarified. “I’ve been in contact with my dad- a messenger hawk managed to find him- and he’s on his way here to the capital. He has to meet with Iroh, but then he’s planning on going to the North Pole, to visit our sister tribe. The healers there are…. They have more knowledge on healing than I do, and if anyone can help Jet, it’s them. We’re going to take Jet there.”

Ty Lee sat quietly from her place on the floor. She had been sitting fairly normally, though in a lotus pose, and shut her eyes, thinking. Jet would be far away in the north pole. He would be taken care of, safe with Katara, and probably with Hakoda as well, though Ty Lee hadn’t the opportunity to get to know him at all.

“I want to go with you.” She opened her eyes, looking up at Katara.

“Are you sure?” Katara eased herself off of the bed to sit beside Ty Lee. “I mean, I know you care about Jet and everything, but what about your family? You haven’t been home much at all since Iroh was crowned. Don’t you think that maybe you’re, I don’t know, a little too invested in Jet?”

“No,” Ty Lee replied quickly, defensively. “I don’t. It’s….” She sighed, shaking her head. “You and your brother are close, and you seem to really love your dad, and that’s really great, but that’s not how it is in my family. I don’t want to go home. I’m not comfortable there. I am comfortable with you guys. I can just…relax and be myself, and that’s how it was with Jet too.”

“Huh.” Katara let her head rest against the wall behind them, looking up a little. “I guess you had a similar upbringing as Toph?”

“Maybe?” Ty Lee shrugged. “I don’t know. But I want to stay with you guys, and I now everyone is going to be going in different directions- Sokka said he was going with Suki back to Kyoshi Island and then to the South Pole, right? And Toph wants to go back to visit her parents- and I feel like I need to stay with Jet, to see him when he comes back, and…finally tell him who I am really. Plus,” and Ty Lee grinned at Katara, “I haven’t ever seen snow before, and I think that will be really interesting!”

Katara raised an eyebrow at her, then laughed. “Well, there is a lot of snow there, and ice. It’s all ice, actually. The houses, the walking paths, everything.”

“Wait, really?” Ty Lee’s mouth opened in surprise, trying to imagine what that could possibly look like, and Katara only laughed harder.

* * *

“Ty Lee?”

She looked up from the pile of clothes that surrounded her, to the doorway, and positively beamed. Aang was walking into the room that had been accommodated for her and Toph during their stay.

“Aang! Hi!” Ty Lee stood up and ran to him, greeting him with a tight hug. “I can’t believe how little we’ve seen each other! You’d think we were on different sides of the world, not staying in the same palace!”

“I know. It’s really busy being the Avatar.” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, but his smile was genuine, and his aura was clear.

“I bet! What have you been up to?”

Aang suddenly looked exhausted. “ _So much_ ,” he sighed. “Fire Lord Iroh has been hoping I could somehow get Azula to explain what actually happened to Ozai. I don’t know why. I think she’s mad I took her bending away.”

“Well….yeah,” Ty Lee said gently. Azula prided herself on her bending abilities. “You removed a really important part of her.”

“There wasn’t anything else I could do. It was the only way to stop her without killing her.”

“I know, and I’m really, really glad you did.” She gave Aang an encouraging smile. “Um, how is Azula doing?”

Aang sucked in a deep breath, grimacing. “Not…great. I mean, I never really got a chance to get to know her before now, but she’s taking her lack of bending really hard. She doesn’t seem really…right. And she only says she’ll cooperate if I give her bending back.”

Ty Lee had been sitting back down again amongst the clothes strewn across the floor (she did need to stay focused!), but hearing that, she looked quickly back up to Aang. “Can you do that?”

“Yeah. Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you a-” He stopped, looking around at the state of the room. “Are you…packing?”

“Mm-hmm! Katara is taking Jet to the North Pole, and I decided I’d go with them! Katara told me to pack my warmest clothes, and, uh….” She looked back down at all the clothes that were around her. “All my clothes are like this.”

She gestured to her current outfit, a variant of her favorite style; bare midriff and billowy pants, all to allow easy, flexible movement.

“Is the North Pole really that cold? How could _is_ snow?”

Aang had picked up a top made of breathable silk, with long sleeves, but cropped just as her current shirt was. “It’s really, really cold. This is your warmest stuff?”

“Well, it doesn’t exactly get _cold_ in the Fire Nation,” Ty Lee pointed out. “I think the coldest place I’ve ever been was Ba Sing Se? Or maybe the air temple? Probably the air temple, actually. And I was really happy to have that Kyoshi Warrior armor when I was in Ba Sing Se. It got so cold there at night!”

Still, Aang was frowning at her clothing options, and let the shirt he was holding drop to the floor. “Maybe you should ask Katara if she has any clothes she can lend you. It’s a lot colder than the air temples.”

“That’s a great idea! I’ll go-“ She started to stand, but stopped, remembering. “You said you wanted to talk to me, right? What is it?”

Everything about Aang was hesitating, even his aura didn’t want to choose a color, shifting back and forth. “It’s nothing,” he finally settled on saying.

“…Are you sure?”

“Positive.” He sat down beside her among the sea of clothes. “How soon are you leaving?”

“In a few days, I think. Katara made it sound like her dad was eager to leave.” Ty Lee grabbed several of her shirts that were strewn around her to fold. “We’ll probably be gone for a while. Oh! I should probably say goodbye to Mai…and my parents….”

Following her motions, Aang also began to fold the clothes. “Are you going to visit Azula?”

Ty Lee paused, stilling her movements for a moment. “I don’t think so. I mean, I would like to, to check up on her, because I’m sure she’s hurting right now. But I don’t think I’m ready to.”

Aang was quiet, diligently folding her clothes into a less than neat stack.

“I know everyone only thinks of Azula as the enemy,” she continued, “and I know everyone thinks I’m….” The word she almost used was _stupid_ , but she held back on that. She wasn’t stupid. “…I’m foolish for still caring about her-”

“I don’t.”

“Really?” This time, Ty Lee fully stopped folding, her attention entirely on Aang.

He shook his head. “You’re like me, Ty Lee. You see the good in Azula, the friendship you had.” All the clothes around him had been folded. “I never gave up hope that Zuko could be my friend. I knew there was good in him, it just took some time for him to find it, too. Maybe it’s the same way for Azula. But…you should only see her when you’re ready.”

“Thanks, Aang.” She leaned over and hugged him, then glanced down at the clothes between them. “Oh. Um. I think I’ll just…finish folding on my own.”

Aang looked down at his sloppily folded piles of clothes, and gave her a sheepish grin.

* * *

Ty Lee was fascinated by the differences between the wooden Water Tribe ship and the metal ones she was more accustomed to of the Fire Nation. It was not quite as large as the ones she had traveled on, and powered by harnessing the wind in its sails, not coal and steam. The sleeping quarters weren’t exactly private, too; Ty Lee was used to her own private room, but here, there were communal sleeping quarters with _hammocks._

Really, the hammocks were her favorite park. There was something delightful about sleeping suspended over the ground, swaying with the roll of the ocean.

On the ship, everyone had a job, which was so very curious. Hakoda was the chief of the Southern Water Tribe, so Ty Lee had likened Katara to be something akin to a princess (though, maybe not _exactly_ like a princess, since she had known so many practical skills). It seemed likely that, once reunited with her father and no longer traveling with such parse supplies that Katara would be able to relax and let everyone keep things running without her. That…was not the case.

Katara was given laundry duty, due to her waterbending. At first, Hakoda paired Ty lee with her, but Ty Lee had _never_ washed so much as a dishcloth before and was perhaps a tad too rough in her scrubbing. She was quickly taken off before she ruined too many clothes.

Hakoda was kind, in that he tried to find work that she would know how to do, or could quickly learn based upon the skills she already had; unfortunately, she did not have many practical skills to begin with, beyond her basic knowledge with a needle and thread. So she alternated between basic jobs; she learned how to mend nets, the importance of swabbing the deck, and occasionally she would help the cook with meal preparations.

Ty Lee enjoyed the time on the ship, for the most part. The work was hard, but it actually gave her a sense of accomplishment she hadn’t ever felt before. The only draw backs was that there was definitely less time she could set aside to keep her muscles and joints as limber as she would like, and that Hakoda insisted that Jet remain in his private quarters.

When she’d first been told this, Ty Lee had nearly argued, but Katara had swiftly jabbed her in her side to quiet her. Later on she had explained that by agreeing to this, it was the only way her father had allowed Jet to travel on the ship with them.

This meant that Ty Lee had even less of an opportunity to visit Jet, and it was always under Hakoda’s supervision.

The air grew colder as they traveled northward, and much sooner than Ty Lee had anticipated, she needed to borrow clothes from Katara. Wearing clothing of leather and fur was very new, and very _heavy_. It certainly made any of her more acrobatic exercises nearly impossible to do. Ty Lee almost tried to wear her own clothes before the cold became too much to bear.

She would simply have to wait until they reached the North Pole and were inside by a warm fire for her to be able to wear her own clothes and stretch herself properly.

Currently, she was dressed in not only a spare dress and leggings of Katara’s (not to mention fur lined boots, as well) but a very thick parka that was just about the warmest and coziest thing that Ty Lee had ever worn, as she sat in Hakoda’s quarters beside Jet. The only chair was at a desk, being used by Katara’s father, so she and Jet were sitting on the floor.

“Do you remember when we first met, in Shu Jing?” she asked him. It was the question she asked every time she had the chance to spend with him, and his answer was always the same.

Today was no different. “No.”

“You were buying fruit at a fruit stand, and I said hello first,” she reminded him. “You asked for my opinion on what to buy. I think I told you to get pomelos. Pomelos are my favorite. Do you remember that?”

“No.”

Ty Lee let out a loud sigh and leaned back on her hands. Try as she may, it was hard to stay hopeful when his responses were always the same. Every now and then, the horrible thought that the Jet she had met in Shu Jing was gone forever would creep up on her, and she had to push that idea far away to not become overcome.

She glanced over her shoulder at Hakoda. His eyes were focused on something on his desk, but she knew better than to think he wasn’t paying attention to her. His eyes were that of an eagle hawk, his ears as sharp as a jackalope’s. Even when relaxed, he knew everything that was going on.

“Chief Hakoda?”

He looked up at her. “What is it?”

“Why don’t you trust Jet?”

Hakoda sat up straight in his chair, considering her. “Why do you think I don’t trust Jet?”

The question was confusing. It was _obvious_. “I mean, you keep him locked up in here all day, and you only let me visit him when you’re here.”

“Ty Lee, I have seen what Jet can do,” Hakoda answered slowly, his eyes trained on her. “I saw the damage he did to Toph on the day of black sun. Katara told me how you received your scar.” He pointed to his own cheek, exactly where her scar would be on her own cheek. “I know exactly the harm he can bring when he is not his own person. I will not allow that to happen to anyone on board my ship.”

“But Jet isn’t going to attack anyone,” Ty Lee pointed out. “Right now he only does what he is told-”

“Katara told me that you are the one with control over him right now, correct?”

Ty Lee blinked in surprise. “I mean, yes, I guess I do, but I don’t _want_ it. I’m just the only one who knows the phrase to do so. I want Jet back to normal, that’s why we’re going to the North Pole after all.”

“I know. And I don’t think that you would do anything that would bring harm to anyone on this ship. However,” and Hakoda paused. “….However, I have to put the safety of my men and everyone on this ship first. Katara explained to me that you are unwilling to share the words or phrase that takes control of Jet. I won’t force you to tell me them. But unless I know them, Jet must stay in here, and under my supervision.”

Ty Lee wasn’t so sure she liked Hakoda very much.

* * *

Somehow, it got even _colder_.

Islands and strips of land in the distance gave way to icebergs, some as large as mountains, and Ty Lee was absolutely in wonder of it all. She could see her breath, forming like clouds beyond her lips, and had to wear mittens (and she was going to be forever indebted to Katara for sharing so much of her clothing, because Ty Lee would have absolutely frozen without all the many layers of fur and suede and leather) and a scarf up over her nose. No one else aboard the ship seemed to want for so much coverage, but then again, they were all from the South Pole; they were used to the cold.

And as beautiful as the sea was this far north, with the dotting of icebergs of white and blue, Ty Lee did miss the warmth of her homeland. Hopefully, the healers of the north could do quick work on Jet, and they would be able to go back south to warmer lands soon.

As they sailed along a great ice shelf, Ty Lee staring up at it in wonder, Katara stood beside her. “We’re here,” she announced, and it sounded like relief in her voice.

“Really?” Ty Lee looked sharply at Katara. There was no _land_ , just water and ice, as far as she could see. “Where?”

“There.” She pointed to the ice shelf. “Up there, you’ll see. We just have to make it around this bend.”

Ty Lee had thought Katara had simply been pulling her leg when she had said, all those weeks ago, that everything in the Northern Tribe was made of ice. After all, how could someone live in a house made of ice- how could anyone _build_ anything from ice for that matter? She was quickly proven wrong, that Katara had been truthful. Every last part of the city was made of ice, and there were no roads, just the sea cutting through among the buildings and canoes traversing the canals. It was incredible, beautiful, and still so perplexing that people would _choose_ to make their home in such icy conditions.

Jet had been given his own set of Water Tribe clothing. He had a crutch for his leg, to help him walk, but that proved to be tricky on the icy pathways. Ty Lee helped him as best as she could, following Katara and Hakoda as they walked with the chief of the Northern Water Tribe. Chief Arnook had been polite, but short when introduced to Ty Lee and Jet, and Ty Lee had the distinct feeling that, for some reason, he did not like her.

An official then greeted Katara and Ty Lee, apparently there to take them to where the most skilled healers were. The building was large, made all the more impressive that it was- and Ty Lee was going to continue to struggle with this fact for some time- made of ice, and even more curiously, there were no doors, only tarps made of animal skin blocking the doorways. She followed Katara and the official inside, and was relieved as the warmth of a fire in the center of the room reached her. Pulling her scarf down below her chin and the hood of her coat off of her head, she took in the rest of the room.

It was large, open, with several wooden beds circling around the fire, some of which were occupied with women kneeling beside them, attending the occupants. Against the wall were shelves filled with vials and bottles and jars, and before them stood a severe looking old woman that the attendant introduced as Ataksak.

“This is the patient?” she asked, striding up to Jet, peering at him with interest.

“Yes,” Ty Lee answered. “His name is Jet, what happened is-”

“I read the letter, I know of the affliction.” Ataksak glanced sideways at Ty Lee, before narrowing her eyes. “And I suppose you are the Fire Nation girl I was told would be accompanying him?”

She nodded. “My name’s Ty Lee.”

“ _Out_.” Ataksak pointed to the door. “You are not welcome in this house of healing.”

Ty Lee was too stunned to speak, but thankfully Katara had not lost her voice. “What? Why?”

The old woman’s gaze was colder than the ice that surrounded them. “I will not do my work with Fire Nation heathens underfoot. If you want the boy healed, you will see the girl out.”

Katara had a fierceness in her eyes that Ty Lee had not seen since the day she and Zuko had shown up at the Air Temple, and it was strange and so lovely that that protectiveness was now trained on her, but there were greater things at stake. Before Katara could say another word, Ty Lee had grabbed her hand and shook her head.

“It’s okay, I’ll wait for you outside,” she assured her. “Just- just make sure you explain everything about Jet, okay?”

Ataksak merely huffed, grumbling under her breath about needing no further instruction as Ty Lee left the warm building. Stepping outside, she shivered at a cold breeze, quickly pulling her hood and scarf back up to cover what it could.

After what felt like absolute ages (and Ty Lee couldn’t be certain how long, exactly, because the cold made time seem to move even slower), Katara came stomping out of the building, a deep scowl etched into her features.

“Miserable old cuttlefish,” she said crossly before letting out a loud and calming sigh. “Sorry. I forgot how….set in their ways the North is.”

Ty Lee nodded along, pretending she understood. “…Is everyone here going to hate me because I’m Fire Nation?”

Katara seemed to struggle with an answer, before settling on, “I don’t know. Maybe. The…. The last time anyone from the Fire Nation was here, it was bad. Really bad. And it was fairly recent, too.”

“Oh, the siege on the North?” Ty Lee asked. She’d heard of that. Not much, though, because it was a failure, and one thing the Fire Nation did not advertise amongst its citizens was failure. The details never made it to the islands and the colonies, but she had heard that many Fire Nation lives were lost.

Katara nodded solemnly. “A lot of bad things happened during that siege. Even with the war being over, I don’t know how fast they’ll forgive here. They’re…very traditional. But hey! You managed to win me over, right? You’ll make friends here too, I’m sure of it.”

Ty Lee wasn’t so positive, but again, she nodded. “Did Ataksak say she could heal Jet?”

“She said she’d do her best. This is the first time she’s seen anyone with this…issue. But she’s apparently the most skilled healer in the north pole- and probably the world,” Katara assured her. “And I’ll work with her. I really think the key is also triggering a memory, since that’s what worked with him in Ba Sing Se, and what helped Mai. Also, there is the Spirit Oasis. Maybe water from there could be used to heal him.”

“…Spirit Oasis?”

And Katara’s eyes lit up a bit. “Oh, I never told you about it?” And she launched into a long explanation, of a place within the north pole that was warm with a pool that held the moon and ocean spirits, of how water from that pool had been used to heal Aang when Azula had almost killed him.

* * *

The days passed.

Ty Lee tried to make good use of her time; the difficulty was that there was not much she could _do_. There was no constant work, like when she was on the ship. Katara was consistently busy, either assisting Ataksak in the healing house, or joining her father in meetings with Chief Arnook.

The people of the Northern Water Tribe were not quite as rude as Ataksak was, but Ty Lee could feel how uneasy they were by her. The first night at the north pole, Katara had explained in further detail what had happened when the Fire Nation had attacked most recently, and while Ty Lee could understand why the people of this tribe were so cautious, it did not make her any more comfortable. If anything, she wanted to, more than ever, just personally apologize for the sins of the Fire Nation. The problem was that most did not want to even talk to her.

So she attempted to do her stretches and yoga, but that was nearly impossible with all the thick layers.

All in all, Ty Lee decided that this trip to the north pole would also be her last. It was beautiful, yes, but cold in more ways than one.

“Ty Lee! Ty Lee!”

She looked up quickly; she was seated on a bridge spanning the canal, legs dangling over the edge, and squinted in the direction she’d heard her name. The bright sun reflecting off the ice and snow made it difficult to see on cloudless days, she’d found, and could even give her a sunburn on her cheeks if she let her scarf fall too low.

Katara was running along the pathways, darting through and past other crowds of people, still shouting her name. Ty Lee had barely managed to stand by the time she’d reached her, a large grin on her face and excitement in her eyes.

“What is it-”

“It’s Jet. Come on!” And before her words had even registered in Ty Lee’s mind, Katara had grabbed her hand, and pulled her back the way she’d come.

_It’s Jet._

They had managed to run a block before those words finally had sunk in, and as soon as Ty Lee realized, Katara was no longer pulling her. She pushed herself ahead, running as fast as her feet could carry her over the ice and snow, she passed Katara, racing to the healing house. Ignoring that she was not allowed inside, she thrust the sealskin tarp aside, bursting in.

Jet was sitting up on one of the beds, Ataksak at his side, and looked over when she appeared. His eyes were not unfocused, but taking her in, and his aura was so much stronger than she’d seen on him in what felt like an eternity.

“Jet,” she gasped out, almost unable to believe that she was seeing him this way, pulling her scarf down.

And there it was, that crooked grin that made her heart just melt back on Shu Jing.

“Hey Ty Lee.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go before we conclude this tale. I'm a little excited for it, because I still have a thing or two up my sleeves for this fic, and I hope you guys will enjoy it. 
> 
> Anyway. 
> 
> I just want to say that I don’t dislike Hakoda. In fact, he’s pretty much the only representation of a decent parent in the entire show and I stan him for that. But Ty Lee is fourteen. And she isn’t used to adults being level headed and protective because they care, and she can only think that Hakoda is being unfair to her and Jet. It’s a shame. I really wanted to have Ty Lee get a big ol’ bear hug from Hakoda and gain an appreciation for how parents can show affection and maybe get sort of informally adopted by him, but apparently that’s NOT the direction this story is going. :/
> 
> Please let me know what you think, I love to hear your thoughts. Your comments are what keep me going. 
> 
> Also, I have a Tumblr. [Here it is.](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/soozenwrites)


	14. Hear All the Bombs Fade Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which this story comes to an end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here it is. The final chapter of this story.
> 
> Please enjoy.

This was all so strange.

Less than an hour ago, Jet had suddenly awoken (but was awoken even the right word? He was certain he had been awake, that his eyes had been open long before he became _aware_ ) in a strange icy building, with an old woman with greying hair and darker skin and blue eyes peering down at him- _water tribe_ , his mind had surprisingly supplied- and another, younger, with dark hair and the same dark skin and bright eyes calling his name. And how strange, that he knew that name, Jet, was his own, when he knew so very little else.

And now, there was yet another girl, with fairer skin and lighter hair, clinging to him, her face pressed into his chest, sobbing.

Everything was confusing. The pieces of how everything fit together kept slipping away, no matter how hard he tried to figure out exactly what was going on.

He knew where he was. The north pole, in the city of Agna Qel’a, as the old woman had explained. She was Ataksak. The younger water tribe girl was Katara- and when he looked at her, there was a strange emotion. Comfort, perhaps. As if his body knew and remembered her, though he did not. An emotional memory, maybe.

The two had asked him many things, all boiling down to the same question: _what do you remember?_ The answer was nothing.

He had sat there, on a bed in a room where the walls and the ceiling were made of ice, and there was a fire in the center and beds arranged around it; it was strange. And it was strange that he felt this was odd, because what on earth could even be his comparison, to draw that conclusion? Katara and Ataksak spoke, discussing ideas and thoughts all revolving around him and his apparent lack of memory, and someone named Ty Lee. The old woman did not seem to care for whoever Ty Lee was, scoffing and sneering at the name, but gave permission for this Ty Lee to be brought into the room anyway.

And then Katara was gone, and it was just him and Ataksak. Jet swallowed, still taking in his surroundings, trying to ground himself but there was nothing familiar about any of this.

“…I’m not from here, am I?” he finally asked, and Ataksak snorted.

“Of course not, though I couldn’t tell you _where_ you came from,” she responded haughtily. “Certainly not Fire Nation, or you never would crossed the threshold into my healing den. Probably somewhere in the Earth Kingdom.”

Something inside him flared at the words _Fire Nation_ , and Ataksak had nearly spit them out, as if they were venomous.

“Though you did have that little Fire Nation brat with you when you arrived.” She peered at him suspiciously. “She does any firebending or anything foul while visiting you, and you _both_ will be out of here, I don’t care how much more healing you have to do.”

He could only assume she was speaking of this mysterious Ty Lee, and that name felt familiar, much like how he felt when he had looked at Katara. But she was Fire Nation. Again, there was that fire in him at that name, anger, distrust. He did not like the Fire Nation, Jet was certain of this.

Maybe he did not like Ty Lee for that same reason, despite his initial reaction to her name.

But then a girl burst through the doorway, absolutely covered so that all he could see were two large eyes, and she stared at him as if he weren’t real at all. With a gloved hand, she pulled her scarf down, and Jet was unprepared for the feelings that rippled through him at the sight of that lovely face. There was that comfort, the familiarity he’d felt when he saw Katara, but so much stronger, and…there was something deep within him that felt protective of her. This girl meant something to him, and he could not suppress the small grin he had when she said his name.

“Hey Ty Lee.” The words had flowed out of him before he knew what he was saying. This was Ty Lee. Without a doubt, this was Ty Lee.

For a moment, she did not move, almost as if she couldn’t, and then she launched herself at him. Jet let out a gasp as she connected with his middle, wrapping her arms tightly around him, and then…she was crying. There was an attempt, he thought, for her to speak through her tears, but he barely caught a single world out of her intelligible sobs. So he put his arms around her, rubbing her back, though it was questionable what she could have felt through the thickness of her fur coat.

The tarp to the room was pushed open, and Katara entered. Her expression softened at the sight of Ty Lee embracing Jet.

“She’s been waiting for this for a long time,” Katara said, but it was unclear who she was speaking to.

Ataksak was the one who responded in any regard. “Well, she’d better not make a mess of my workstation. Girl, control yourself!”

Jet shot a glare at the woman. He might not have much of a memory for what was happening, or who anyone really was, but he knew he did not appreciate the tone she took with Ty Lee.

But Ty Lee appeared to have heard her, letting go of Jet, and when she started to stand up straight again, he loosened his hold on her. Brushing her hand over her cheeks, wiping the tears away, she smiled up at him.

“You’re back,” she breathed. Jet tried not to let out how confusing that statement was, because she was so happy and so relieved. “I can’t believe- oh, what do you remember? Do you remember everything?”

The way the hope and excitement disappeared from her eyes when he shook his head was heartbreaking.

“You don’t?” Her eyebrows were knit tightly, and she bit her lip. “But…you know me, you knew who I was when I walked in.”

“I…know your name.” It was difficult to explain. “But I don’t know how I know that, or how we know each other.”

“He doesn’t remember anything,” Katara supplied gently. “Like how it was when we first pulled Mai out of the hold Azula had on her.”

There was a reaction to those names as well, deep in him, but softer, harder to place. Ty Lee cocked her head slightly, peering up at him. “…Do you remember Mai? Or Azula?”

His eyes shut, he tried to focus on the names, pull something forward; a face, a stronger emotion than whatever was whispering so far within him that he couldn’t grasp it, but there was nothing. Again, he shook his head.

“It’s okay.” Ty Lee’s hand rest upon his. “You’ll remember eventually. We’ll help you.”

* * *

It had been far too long since she had been alone, truly and completely alone.

Before her fall from grace, it had been Mai and it had been Jet who had flanked her sides. Now, in the dark cell she’d been thrown into like common _trash_ , her mother would come to visit her, to mock her with fake declarations of motherly love, and the ghost of her father would haunt her as she tried to sleep, dubbing her the biggest mistake, biggest disappointment in his life.

His life. Laughable. The fool was dead, long dead, killed by his own arrogance and inability to understand the threat and value his daughter held.

But even that knowledge did not keep him away. He haunted her, his words poison in her ears, and she would scream at him, shrieking for him to go, that he was the largest disappointment in this family, unable to see his own mortality, miscalculating the deadliness of the daughter he had molded in his likeness.

The guards hated it when she would yell. They would come, they would threaten her, and she would goad them, taunt them, that when she got her bending back, they would only then truly understand what pain was.

Their only response was to laugh at her.

The noise was constant. If her mother was gone and her father was gone, there were the sounds of the prison; doors clanging, footsteps on stone stalking up and down the halls, keys jingling and voices echoing off the walls. More than anything, more than even her bending, Azula just wanted _peace_.

Quiet. A soft bed to sleep in, food that was suitable to eat, not the rotten mush that wasn’t fit for rats. Azula had never thought that she would simply dream of the warmth of the sun upon her face.

The Avatar was seated across from her, on the other side of her bars. He came twice a week, at the behest of her uncle, always with the same question: Who killed Ozai?

They suspected her. Of course they did. She still felt the sticky blood on her fingers, but thankfully, no one else could see.

It was her order that had killed her father, but not her hand. She could give the Avatar the name of the one who had slit Ozai’s throat, for that was what they wanted, wasn’t it? Easily, she could pin all the blame on him, on Jet, squirrel her way out of blame. It would be so easy.

And then she’d have quiet.

“I have terms,” Azula spoke. Her voice was raw, from screaming at her father nearly the entirety of the night before.

The Avatar opened his eyes. He had been quiet, meditating, used to her ignoring his presence, and he never tried to threaten the truth from her. Infuriating. She would have preferred that. “I’ve told you; I won’t be giving you your bending back.”

She laughed, but it hurt, and she ended in a cough. “ _New_ terms, Avatar. I want out. Out of this cell, permanently.”

He gave her a suspicious look. “I don’t think the Fire Lord will agree to that.”

“He will if he ever wants to abdicate the throne to my foolish brother,” she snarled back.

“He’s not going to just let you go free.”

Azula nearly rolled her eyes. “Did I request _freedom_ , idiot child? I want better conditions, far from this prison. Quiet, quiet lodgings. Better food. Surroundings suitable for royalty. Surely it is within my uncle’s power to come up with a solution?”

For a moment, the Avatar only stared at her, before nodding. “I’ll talk to the Fire Lord.”

As he stood, Azula clarified, “Be certain he knows that I won’t speak a word until I am out of this prison.”

He nodded, and Azula smiled. This would work. Such an easy way to appease her, there was no way the Fire Lord would say no.

* * *

Ataksak insisted on Jet remaining in the healing den for the evening, for more work using water from the Spirit Oasis. Ty Lee tried to stay, to help in any way that she would be allowed, but the healer’s patience was seemingly at an end, forcing her out.

The next morning, shortly after sunrise (and Ty Lee less than thrilled to be out of the relative warmth of her lodgings before the sun had a chance to warm the air), she and Katara returned to visit Jet. Ataksak was nowhere to be found, but Jet was awake, sitting up on his bed, looking a little bewildered.

Ty Lee squashed down the nerves she felt as she approached him, and jumped up on his bed to sit beside him. “Good morning!”

Any anxiety faded away when he smiled and greeted her; he had _not_ forgotten everything since yesterday. Good.

“Where’s Ataksak?” Katara asked, standing across from them.

“Went to get breakfast. She, uh, she says she can’t do anything more for me, on her own at least. After I eat, she said she wants me to get out, talk to you guys.” Jet rubbed his forehead, frowning.

“Okay,” Ty Lee nodded along, and then, because her curiosity got the better of her, she asked, “Do you remember anything?”

“No.” Jet shook his head. “At least, I don’t think so. It’s hard to say. I…. I remember…..” He grimaced and shook his head again. “No, I don’t.”

“That’s okay. You will. We can tell you lots of things,” Ty Lee assured him, and Katara nodded along. “Katara knows a lot more about you than I do, she can tell you loads about where you’re from, and the uh- what’d you call them? Freedom Fighters?”

“Yeah, Freedom Fighters.”

Jet’s frown deepened at the name of the vigilante group, and he murmured it to himself. It was not missed by Katara, who took a step closer. “Do you….remember something?”

“Not exactly.” Closing his eyes, Jet leaned forward, a hand over his heart. “It’s like a- a feeling, not a memory.”

“What do you feel?”

“….Pride, I think.” He opened his eyes, looking at the two girls. “Why don’t I remember anything? Ataksak wouldn’t tell me. But I don’t think she entirely knows, either.”

Ty Lee glanced at Katara. She hadn’t considered that they would have to tell Jet _everything_ , and this was not something she wanted to have to explain. There was so much of the beginning that she didn’t know.

“Um, maybe you should start, Katara,” she said slowly. “With Ba Sing Se.”

Katara seemed just as pleased as she felt to have to tell this tale. Ty Lee put her hand on Jet’s as Katara started from the beginning, as best she knew. This wouldn’t be easy for him to hear, she was sure.

* * *

Whatever leniency Ataksak had the day that Jet came to had passed, and once again, Ty Lee was banned from her workspace. A solution was found around this: well after the sun had set, after Ataksak had retired for the evening, Ty Lee would sneak into the healing den.

Surprisingly, it was Jet’s idea; at least, according to Katara, it was. She had spent the better part of the morning and afternoon inside the den, assisting with the retrieval of Jet’s memories. No real progress had been made, but he had requested Ty Lee’s presence. Ty Lee couldn’t rightly understand why; to him, she was little more than a stranger, and Katara held more of his memories than she ever had.

But she was not about to pass up on the prospect of some time alone with Jet.

The first night, Ty Lee had been hopeful that, maybe, miraculously, he _did_ remember her. This, of course was not the case. The true reason was nearly as good, however. He said he felt something when he looked at her, when her name was said; not a memory, but an emotion. A closeness, something strong enough that he thought that they might be dating.

“Not exactly,” she had told him, and explained that, while she was very fond of him and he had seemed equally fond of her, that they hadn’t had the chance to become anything more than a flirty fling.

The second night, Ty Lee recounted her favorite moments with him, and any light-hearted tales she had been able to put together from what others had told her about him. When she spoke of his tiger blades- which, of course, were safely stowed in Hakoda’s ship- his eyes had lit up, and his fingers twitched, as if itching to feel them in his hands.

The third night, Jet told her, with great excitement, that he had managed to remember _something_. Earlier that day, Katara had been working with him on recalling the Freedom Fighters, and suddenly, the image of the tree houses had burst into his mind. There was a grin on his lips and a lightness in his eyes as he had spoken of the forest full of impossibly tall trees, the secret pulley system that had been used to access the Freedom Fighters’ base. He couldn’t remember a single other person, though he was certain there had been many of them, but this was an excellent start.

The fourth night, the topic became a bit more serious.

“We’ve talked about me a lot,” Jet said as they sat on his bed. They were facing each other, Ty Lee sitting cross-legged and wishing her clothes weren’t so bulky, because her muscles were aching for a proper circus style stretching. “I want to hear about you. What your family’s like, how you met Katara, your interests.”

“But shouldn’t we be focusing on getting you to remember things?” she asked, toying with the fur blanket they were sitting on. For once, she had shed her mittens, though her coat remained on. The only time it came off was when she was safely buried beneath a pile of furs when she went to sleep.

Jet shrugged her question off. “That’s what gets focused on all day. C’mon. I got to know you once before. Let me learn all about you again.”

Right.

“Well, I’m…Fire Nation, which I’m sure you already know. Um…” Ty Lee thought a moment, unintentionally settling into the traditional thinking pose with a finger pressed to her lip. She missed the amused grin Jet had in response. “I have six sisters, and I grew up in Caldera- that’s the volcano the Capital City is in- and I went to the Royal Fire Academy for Girls until I was thirteen. I joined a circus then, one that traveled to the colonies, and I was there until….”

She had not told Jet of her relationship with Azula yet. In their explanation for how Jet had lost his memory, she and Katara had given a bare-bones retelling of all that had happened to him. Katara had covered the early parts, of being arrested by the Dai Li and the brainwashing that followed, of how he had joined her and the Avatar. The latter bits of the story, involving Azula, were told by Ty Lee, who successfully skirted the fact that she was friends with the princess, and had played an active role in putting him under her control.

It didn’t seem as if she would be able to keep that a secret for much longer.

“…Until I was called away,” she finished, hoping he would simply accept that.

Only Jet was staring at her as if he wasn’t certain which part of what she had just revealed that he wanted to talk further about.

“You- you were in a circus?” he questioned, then shook his head, waving a hand as if to dismiss his statement. “No, let’s back up. You have _six_ sisters? Are you the oldest?”

“No,” Ty Lee said confidently, then frowned. “Actually, I don’t know? It might be Ty Lat? I’m not sure. But I think Ty Woo is the youngest.”

“…How do you not know who is the oldest? Or the youngest?” Jet was giving her the strangest of looks.

Ty Lee gave an off handed wave, leaning back on one hand. “We’re septuplets. My parents probably don’t even know which of us is the oldest. They got us confused a lot; only really seemed to recognize us as a set. It’s never really been very important.”

Jet let out a soft chuckle. “So you, Ty Lee, are a septuplet who joined the circus after attending a fancy school; I might not remember much about the world, but something tells me this isn’t how everyone else’s story sounds.” He paused, as a thought occurred to him. “Wait, what was the name of the that school you went to?”

“The Royal Fire Academy for Girls?” Ty Lee questioned. “It’s just an average school, I think.”

“The _Royal_ Fire Academy,” he repeated. “Are you- shit, are you the Fire Nation princess? No, wait, that was a different name- is there more than one princess?”

And Ty Lee only then understood her mistake in naming the academy. Okay. It was just going to come out soon, she might as well just do it now. “Uhh, no, I’m not the princess. I just went to school there. I, um, did go to school with Princess Azula. We were friends.”

Out of habit, Ty Lee nearly named Azula as her best friend.

“…The same princess who….used me? The one that made me like…this?” Jet pointed to his head.

Silent, avoiding Jet’s eyes, Ty Lee nodded.

“Were you friends when she did this?”

“Yes, but it’s not like- I didn’t think she would do what she did,” Ty Lee added quickly, looking back up at him. “As soon as I realized what was going on, I tried to figure out a way to keep you safe from her, but I moved too slowly. I’m… I’m really sorry for that, Jet. I didn’t want this to happen to you at all.”

She watched him, as he looked down at the bed, at his hands, trying to determine if touching him would be inappropriate. It felt like it was. This whole situation was her fault, after all. And, for the first time, he now knew that.

That was the end of the fourth night. Jet said he needed time to think, to take in all she had revealed.

Ty Lee gave him space. She did not return on the fifth night, nor the sixth. On the seventh day, Katara relayed the message that he had asked about her, wondering where she was. So, she snuck her way into the healing den, her stomach in knots as she did so.

The fire in the center of the room was stronger than ever; Ty Lee felt the difference the moment she came inside. A sizeable stack of firewood was near the fire pit and Jet was feeding the logs to the flame.

He looked up when she ducked in, a gust of frigid air sneaking in with her. “Hey,” he said, standing up.

“Hi.”

Ty Lee came in further, suppressing a frown as Jet took a few limping steps back to his bed. His knee had not healed well. Katara had told her that it wasn’t her fault, it was from a previous injury and that she did what was needed to save him. It didn’t entirely feel like she had saved him by permanently injuring him.

“So, um, how are you feeling?” Ty Lee asked. She didn’t sit on the bed this time. Would he want her to? Had he forgiven her?

More importantly, did she deserve his forgiveness?

“Fine, you know.” He shifted on the bed, leaving plenty of space at the foot of his bed. “Been wondering where you’ve been.”

Oh. “Well you said that you needed time,” Ty Lee said, stepping closer. “I didn’t want to come back to soon.”

“You should have. Been missing that smile of yours.”

Heat pooled into her cheeks. Without a doubt, her face was bright red now; she resisted the urge to hide her face in her hands.

“Ataksak just doesn’t have the same charm as you,” he added, with that cheeky grin. “C’mon, sit down.”

She did, a smile on her lips. “You aren’t mad at me?”

“I think I was at first,” he admitted, leaning back against his pillows. “It was kind of jarring, to be honest. I didn’t expect you of all people to be friends with someone so….evil.”

Ty Lee quite literally bit her tongue, to keep herself from saying anything that might upset Jet further. But, his eyes were soft as he looked at her, and it filled her with such warmth as he continued.

“But you aren’t like that princess. And- at least according to Katara- you saved me. She said that you got me away from her, that…that it was all you focused on.” His eyes were on her, as if waiting confirmation, and she slowly nodded that yes, yes it was true. Bowing his head, Jet let out a soft exhale. “….I didn’t mean for you to stay away.”

“Well, I’m here now.”

And for a moment, they just looked at each other, and it was quiet, but comfortable. It reminded her of those afternoons where they would lay in the sunshine after having lunch, enjoying each other’s company. Maybe one day soon, she could show him her favorite parts of the Fire Nation.

“Is it warm enough in here?” Jet suddenly asked. “I can put another log on, if you’re cold.”

That was surprising. She glanced at the fire, then back to him. “Oh, no, I’m okay, I’m plenty warm.”

“You never take your coat off,” he pointed out.

“Oh. I mean…. I’m used to _much_ warmer weather,” Ty Lee admitted.

Jet let out a small snort, shaking his head. “You can just say that you’re cold. I asked for extra firewood, told Ataksak that I get cold in the night. She arranged for plenty.”

Ty Lee watched as he added several more logs, and slowly undid the toggles of her coat. The room _was_ warmer than any other place that she had been since arriving in the north pole. Not quite as warm as she wanted it to be, but warm enough that she wasn’t shivering without the thickly lined coat.

It was the first time she felt comfortable enough, and couldn’t resist the opportunity to do a few deep stretches. She twisted and lengthened her legs, sliding off the bed and onto the rug on the floor into a split.

“….So, the circus, huh?”

Ty Lee looked up at Jet as he sat down on his bed again; he was staring down at her with a keen sort of interest. “Huh?”

“Last time you were here,” he reminded her. “You said you had joined a circus, or something?”

“Oh, right! Yes, I had, um, sorry! I haven’t had the chance to stretch properly, not since we got here, and gosh, do I need it!” As if to emphasize her point, she twisted her spine and there was a rather loud pop as her joints cracked. With a dazed sort of smile, she let out a small sigh. “This feels so good. I can just feel my chakras aligning again.”

If Jet was confused by that, he didn’t let it show. He leaned forward, resting his weight on his good knee. “Mind telling me about your time in the circus?”

She didn’t mind at all.

* * *

Jet’s memory was returning bit by bit, quicker than Mai had been. However, that did not mean much, since Mai struggled to remember almost anything at all. After a week and a half of healing with the spirit water Katara had told Ty Lee about, coupled with Katara telling Jet of everything she knew of him, Jet was able to piece things together.

There were definite holes, it seemed. Everything to do with Ba Sing Se was blank, as well as his time with Azula. Ty Lee wasn’t certain if this was a good thing or not. On one hand, if Jet could remember it, maybe they would finally know who killed the former Fire Lord so that Zuko could take the throne. Maybe there was a key to unlocking all his memories, hidden during that timeframe; maybe he would know how to help Mai.

But, Ty Lee was also certain that, if he did remember, if he was able to name who killed Ozai, the truth would be unsettling. Ty Lee was familiar with the palace, of the incredible amount of guards, the impossibility of an assassin breaking in. There was only one person who could be behind his death, and Ty Lee’s stomach twisted and churned at the thought of Azula going that far.

Until it was confirmed, it hadn’t happened that way. So maybe it was best for the truth to never be uncovered, for Iroh to simply remain on the throne. It was better, she told herself.

…Even if that kept Zuko’s future in limbo, and left the Fire Nation without an heir after Iroh.

There was simply nothing good about this situation, and Ty Lee opted not to think about it.

Instead, when she visited Jet, she would ask him to tell her a story that he remembered, and would delight in whatever he had to share; the story of how he formed the Freedom Fighters, how he had met the Duke, what it was like for him to be aboard a ship with Hakoda as captain.

Every memory was a step in the right direction. Ty Lee would never grow bored of any part of his life he wanted to share, however mundane it seemed.

“I remembered something new today. On my own, without being guided.”

As was the new usual, the room was at nearly a comfortable temperature, and Ty Lee was taking full advantage of being without her coat, twisting herself into impossible positions on the rug by Jet’s bed. Jet was seated on the bed, watching her, a lazy sort of amusement in his eyes.

“Really?” Ty Lee looked up at him from the floor, balancing on her forearms, her body angled perpendicular to the ground, legs curved around so that her toes were nearly grazing the top of her head. “What did you remember?”

“My last night on Shu Jing.”

She stared at him curiously, before realization struck her and she fluidly stood up, facing him. The last night, when he had come to her aunt’s house, beckoned her from her bedroom….

“You remember all of it?” she questioned, sinking down onto the mattress beside him.

“I think I do.” His eyes- sharp eyes, like a Komodo fox- were fixed on her, studying her. “I was scared for you.”

 _That_ was not what she had expected him to say. What she had expected- or rather- wanted him to talk about was the kiss, that one kiss they shared. It was the only kiss that counted; certainly not that one on Azula’s airship when she had been trying to bring him back.

“You were? Why?”

This made him pause, eyebrows coming together as he thought on it. “I think…. I think it was the- the invasion. I don’t remember it much- Katara had told me about it. A fight in the Fire Nation’s capital. You were going to be there, but you didn’t know what was coming. I didn’t want you to get hurt.”

Her own expression softened at his words. Ty Lee found his hand, placing her own atop it. “Jet….”

“I almost warned you about it,” he continued, shifting his hand to interlock his fingers with hers. “I don’t remember why I didn’t, but I remember promising to keep you from harm.” Jet paused, then with his free hand, gently cupped her cheek. Ty Lee had to remind herself to breath as, with the pad of his thumb, he traced the scar that ran the length of her cheekbone. “Looks like I didn’t do a very good job of that. You didn’t have _this_ then.”

His hand fell away when she shook her head. “No, no, that was from something else, not the invasion,” she said quickly. “I wasn’t hurt at all during the invasion, I was fine. I promise.”

“Good.” Jet studied her for a moment, and once again, she could see the sharpness in his eyes, a flirty twinkle; almost as if he were a cat watching a dragonfly hummingbird. “Am I right in thinking that was the last kiss we shared?”

Her cheeks went pink, and she bit her lip, responding with only a nod.

“Oh.” He leaned in closer, his hand reaching out so that his fingers would touch her chin, tilting her head up to better face him. “We should fix that, shouldn’t we?”

That was all Ty Lee needed to hear from him before she closed the distance between them, pressing her lips to his, her hand to his cheek. The wait for this moment had been nearly unbearable, always extending longer by one inconceivable obstacle after another. But now, it was finally over, and Jet was here, and he was aware, and he was kissing her.

_Finally._

* * *

The first deep inhale that Azula took in outside of the prison was the most glorious breath of air she had ever felt in her life. Gone was the stale, ever musty odor, but the smell of grass and earth, and even the less than pleasant smells drifting over from the city were welcome. The sun shone brighter than she remembered, and though it stung her eyes, she refused to shield them.

She was not free, not yet. Her hands were shackled, as were her ankles, and there were an almost laughable amount of guards in front of her, and behind her, and on either side. Seemed her uncle knew better than to underestimate her, even without her bending. Smart man.

She was taken to the docks, to a ship Azula knew far too well; military, bearing the royal flags. It was the same ship she had used when she had first been sent to retrieve her brother and uncle.

 _“An utter failure of a mission,”_ her father murmured in her ear as she boarded the ship. Azula twitched, shaking her head, wanting to hear nothing of his thoughts now. But he followed, just behind her where she couldn’t see. _“If you had just completed it the way you were supposed to, your hands would not be in chains. You would still have your bending.”_

Her teeth bared at his words, and she snapped around, to deliver a scathing remark to Ozai, that at least she had not been killed by a _non-bender_ , but he was not there. Just a guard, and suddenly two more, roughly grabbing at her shoulders, forcing her down into the brig, to a cell that was waiting for her.

It was the very same cell whose use had once been intended to hold her brother.

The journey by sea was boring, predictably so. The only solace Azula had was that Ozai had left. There were no clues given to where she was going; all she could deduce was that her uncle was on board. The flags were not there for her honor.

The hours passed. Azula had become quite used to time passing with nothing to do. She counted the bars of the cells that surrounded her, the bolts in the floor, imagined more than a dozen ways she might break free- none of which were plausible, simply delightful daydreams.

When the engines cut, anticipation grew within her. Their destination had been reached, wherever it was. Was it purposeful, that she was not being told where it was she was being taken? Possibly. Uncle was smart enough to fear her; perhaps he was smart enough to not underestimate her cunning.

But the fact that it appeared that he was agreeing to her terms was proof enough that he already had.

With just as many guards as when she had been brought onboard, Azula was escorted off the ship, to what appeared to be one of the smaller islands of the Fire Nation. There was no sign of town or city, curiously; she couldn’t be certain _which_ island it was. There was a small cluster of buildings, nothing so much to even consider it to be a village.

She was taken past a farm, complete with a farmhouse that had seen better days, up a winding path to a stone building that appeared to have recently been renovated. The outer walls were old and worn, but the heavy metal doors were certainly new. Inside, she was guided through a series of barred doors, also new additions to the apparently ancient building, finally ending in a room much larger than the cell she had been living in. There was a bed in one corner- an actual bed, not merely an old and pest-ridden straw mattress- and a desk on the other side of the room. Several windows dotted the walls (with shiny metal bars fitted into them), allowing so much sunlight in, with views of the surrounding sea.

Azula drifted over to the desk, running a finger over the wood. It was not the dark polished mahogany of the one in her room back in the palace, but it was nicer quality than one would expect to find on such a secluded island. She had a suspicion the same could be said for the linens.

There were footsteps behind her, and Azula glanced over her shoulder as her uncle and the Avatar were allowed entry into the room with her. She managed to suppress a sneer.

For a moment, her uncle only looked at her, as if studying her. Beside him, the Avatar was glancing between the two of them, attempting to get a read on the room. Futile. She’d never let him know what she was thinking.

“Is this to your liking, my niece?” Iroh finally spoke, breaking the silence.

Azula glanced back down at the desk, then to the bars on the windows, before settling coldly upon her uncle. “This is hardly fit for royalty,” she huffed. “I thought my instructions were clear.”

She glared pointedly at Aang, whose face twisted from what seemed to be frustration.

Her uncle merely sighed. “I’m sure you’ll find the accommodations here far superior to the prison you were in. Your meals will be freshly prepared here; no more of the gruel. Fresh clothes will be provided to you daily. Amusements will be provided within reason. You will be granted an hour each day to walk in the garden-”

“Supervised by a whole militia, I’m sure.” Azula looked again out the window. “Hardly meets my requirements.”

“I see,” Iroh nodded. “If this fails to satisfy, then of course, let us return you to the prison in Caldera.”

“I never said I would not stay,” she snapped quickly. “Only that it fails to meet expectations. But I suppose this is the best that a Fire Lord as weak and ineffective as yourself could do.” She sat down on the bed, and it took so much control not to let out a sigh of relief; for weeks and weeks, she had been sleeping on stone, sitting on stone, and oh, had she forgotten what it was like to rest upon something _soft._

The Avatar took a step forward. “You have to hold up your end of the bargain. Who killed Ozai?”

She looked to the walls, to the barred windows, and thought of the series of gates she’d been taken through just to reach this room. It wouldn’t be easy, but it certainly was doable, to escape from this new cell. Her uncle, underestimating her as usual.

They were waiting for a confession, that she had killed her father. There would be no returning to the throne if she confessed to regicide. And she knew- she _knew_ \- that simply telling them that Jet had done the act would not be enough to cover for herself. They would claim the hypnosis, the brainwashing kept him from being at fault.

They were right, of course, but they did not need to know that. Her claim to the throne could not be marred by this.

“My bodyguard did,” she said, looking to her uncle and the Avatar again. “Jet. He leapt to my defense when my father tried to strike me the same way he had Zuko, just the way a good bodyguard should.”

See them try to pin it on her now.

* * *

While Jet was squared away in the healer’s den, Ty Lee returned to the lodgings that had been provided for her and Katara. It was an especially cold day; clouds covered the sky, keeping the sun from granting her any warmth at all. The indoors with fires and fur blankets were much preferred to the cold gray atmosphere outside.

She was huddled as close to the fire as was safe, mittens off and hands outstretched toward the flames. While it was certainly warmer inside than outside (and she still did not understand how ice walls and floors provided any sort of insulation from the cold, but was simply happy that somehow they did), it was not warm enough to forgo her coat.

It wasn’t a surprise when Katara came running into their shared bedroom; whenever there was exciting news, of something new that Jet had managed to remember on his own, she was quick to fill Ty Lee in. However, the letters in hand was unexpected.

“They’re from the Fire Nation; there’s even one for Jet,” Katara said eagerly, sitting down beside Ty Lee and handing her the scroll that was addressed to her.

Ty Lee’s eyes widened at the seal. “It’s from the palace.” Her fingers traced the royal insignia in the wax.

“It’s probably from Zuko then.” Katara had torn the seal off and was unrolling hers. “I wonder why we both got one- It _is_ from Zuko.” She gasped. “He’s been crowned Fire Lord!”

“Really?” Still clutching her unopened letter, she looked over Katara’s shoulder, to read what had been written.

“Yeah, it looks like Azula named the real assassin, clearing his name….” Katara’s voice trailed off as she continued reading. “Oh! He wants to have a small celebration, just us… In Ba Sing Se?”

Now that was curious. Unsatisfied with attempting to read Katara’s letter, Ty Lee opened hers, and was surprised that a second slip of paper fell out when the scroll was unrolled. She picked it up; it was smaller, and folded, with only her name written on the outside of it.

The larger letter was the same that Katara had been given, detailing how Prince Iroh was choosing to retire in Ba Sing Se and run the same tea shop he’d had before Ba Sing Se had fallen to the Fire Nation. Zuko had official business with King Kuei and was inviting them to the Jasmine Dragon for an informal celebration of Zuko’s coronation. The date of the celebration was a month away.

“This is exciting!” Katara grinned, rereading the letter. “It’ll be so nice to see everyone again.”

“I know,” Ty Lee agreed. “I miss Mai and Aang and-“ Her eyes went wide as she realized. “There won’t be any snow! Eee!”

She fell back against the rug she was seated upon, overjoyed at the thought of being where the roads were made of stone and the buildings of wood and brick, and she wouldn’t need every last inch of her covered by layers and layers of fur.

Katara had an eyebrow raised. “You really don’t like it here, huh?”

“No, it’s not that!” Ty Lee said quickly, sitting up. “It’s really pretty here, I mean it, but…. I miss being warm. I really, really, _really_ miss being warm.”

And she missed the food of the Fire Nation. The food of the Northern Water Tribe wasn’t bad, per se, but there was an awful lot of meat. Lots of fish and seal jerky, and the few vegetables came from the sea as well, and the flavors were different. The cuisine of the Earth Kingdom, while not on par with that of the Fire Nation, was still much preferred to this. She never thought she’d ever have a meal without _rice_ , and couldn’t believe how much she missed it.

“I can understand that. To tell you the truth, I don’t really like the heat of the Fire Nation. It’s too much, especially how humid it is. So I guess it’s a good thing we’re going to Ba Sing Se, where we’ll both be comfortable. Though….” Katara twisted her lips, thinking. “I think Jet should be cleared to go. He’s been making improvements, after all.”

“Plus, it’ll be good for him to see everyone too,” Ty Lee pointed out. “It might help him remember more things.”

Katara nodded along, standing. “Let me talk to my dad, see how soon we can leave. It’ll take a couple of weeks at least to reach Ba Sing Se….”

Ty Lee waved goodbye as Katara left the room, muttering to herself. Once certain she was alone, she pulled the letter from her pocket. Unfolding it, she frowned. It was not written in the handwriting of the invitation; clearly, that one had been written by a scribe. This letter had not been.

_Ty Lee-_

_I hope everything is well at the north pole, and that your friend is recovering smoothly. Katara had spoken of the waters of the Spirit Oasis and their healing properties. I am sure they proved to be of use._

_As I am sure you have surmised by the other letter, Azula has finally cooperated and revealed who killed my brother. It came as a shock to both Zuko and I that she named Jet as Ozai’s killer._

_Zuko and I are in agreement that Jet surely must not have acted of his own accord, but it is Azula’s claim that he had acted in her defense when her father attempted to hurt her. Her word is the only one we have, as Mai does not remember anything surrounding Ozai’s death. To the public, I have accepted her story as truth, so that Zuko may take his place as Fire Lord._

_Please know that I am doing all that I can to ensure Jet’s safety, and the best I can provide is this: Jet will not be pursued beyond our borders. But I cannot guarantee his safety on Fire Nation soil. Zuko and I are doing what we can to keep his identity a secret, for if he is to become a hero to the other nations for this, the outcry at home for his death will be too much to ignore._

_I entrust this information to you to tell Jet when he is ready, and to keep him safe until that moment comes._

_Thank you, Ty Lee. I truly hope to see you and Jet in Ba Sing Se._

_-Iroh_

Ty Lee stared at the note, her mind trying to make sense of what she had just read. Jet had killed Fire Lord Ozai. Jet was the one who killed Fire Lord Ozai. It was probably at Azula’s order, but Jet had killed Fire Lord Ozai.

The sentence just kept repeating in her head, without end. Jet had killed the previous Fire Lord, and now could never return to the Fire Nation. But…that wasn’t a problem, was it? Jet wasn’t from the Fire Nation. Jet was from the Earth Kingdom. Okay. That calmed her a little.

She read over the note again, wondering what Iroh had been thinking, to entrust this information to her. Ty Lee had never had to make a plan in her life, had never been the one to hold all the information and come up with the ideas. That had been Azula, or Zuko or Sokka or Aang, or really _anyone_ else. Sure, she had been entrusted with missions, but those had been based on her physical capabilities, not her mental and emotional capacity.

This felt wrong. How would she know when to tell Jet? Should she tell Jet? As much as it pained her to admit it, she did not know Jet as well as she liked to believe. He’d lied to her, and she’d withheld information from him, so how could she gauge when it was the right time?

With a whine, she fell back on the rug once more. It was times like this that she really did miss Azula. Azula had always known what to do.

* * *

It was a relief to finally board the ship and head south.

Ty Lee practically rejoiced the first day that her coat was no longer needed, as the arctic winds grew warmer. She shed the bulky boots Katara had lent to her perhaps a bit too soon, but she was so eager to have the mobility of her ankles back, to give her better and proper control.

Jet didn’t wake up quite early enough to join her for her yoga sessions, but usually wandered out onto the deck just as she was finishing up. He struggled to gain his sea legs with his limp, requiring the use of a crutch. Usually, Ty Lee ended up helping him around, especially out on the deck where there were no walls to steady himself with.

This time, Jet was allowed to sleep in the same room as everyone else, being granted his own hammock. After a few nights, under Jet’s encouragement, Ty Lee attempted to join him in his- only to quickly learn that it was incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to gracefully join someone in their hammock without flipping the entire thing and waking up the rest of the ship with all the commotion.

She stayed in her own hammock from then on.

Ty Lee kept the note given to her by Iroh on her person at all times, tucked in a pocket hidden on the inside of the waistband of her pants. One day she would show it to Jet. One day, when he was ready. She just hoped that she would know when that was.

They sailed along the northeastern edge of the Earth Kingdom, to a small bay to the northeast of Ba Sing Se; it was a much quicker journey than Ty Lee had expected. From there, they would have to journey on foot to the great city. It was a lucky thing they had made such great time by sea, for Jet’s limp- even with the crutch- slowed them down immensely.

Ty Lee was fine with the extra time spent traveling. It was kind of nice, not having adults around to give orders or tell her she couldn’t be someplace. The lack of adult supervision, however, led to disagreements between Jet and Katara; _both_ felt that they were in charge. It was a little endearing to watch them bicker, with petty arguments (“I’m older! I’ve led before!” “Yeah, well, I know where we’re going!” “Only because you won’t share the map!”) that reminded her a little of Sokka and Katara. Jet would back off sooner, however, and was less likely to dish out silly insults.

At night, they would sleep under the stars. With no hammocks around to embarrass them, Ty Lee slept curled up against Jet, her back to his chest, his arm around her middle. The first time, Ty Lee would claim was because she was cold. But even on the nights when blankets were not required, they still slept the same way.

She felt…secure. Safe, somehow. She hoped she made him feel the same way.

When they reached Ba Sing Se, Ty Lee did not want to admit how nervous she was. Would anyone recognize her as one of the trio of girls that had seen to the fall of the great city?

But no one looked at her twice, even when examining her papers and invitation. Just as clearance was granted to Katara and Jet, Ty Lee was admitted into Ba Sing Se.

“I went to the shop once before,” Katara explained, as she led them through the city. “I was just going to have tea, but when I saw Zuko and Iroh, well…. You know the rest.”

“The rest?” Jet asked, raising an eyebrow at Ty Lee.

“I went straight to the palace, to warn the king. I never got to him.”

“…What happened?”

Ty Lee suppressed a groan, and opted to take over the telling of this part of her history. “So, you know how I was friends with Azula? Well, I kind of helped her take Ba Sing Se for the Fire Nation. We pretended to be the Kyoshi Warriors and no one knew the difference because of all the makeup they wear, and we even fooled Katara until….” She looked quickly to Katara. “How _did_ you figure out that we weren’t the Kyoshi Warriors, anyway?”

“Azula’s eyes are gold- Oh, here it is!” Katara stopped walking pointing up at a green building, with a beautifully calligraphed sign reading _The Jasmine Dragon_. As Katara walked inside, Jet grabbed Ty Lee by her elbow, pulling her back before she could follow her in.

“Hey.” His tone was serious, eyes questioning. “You really…helped her do all that?”

Ty Lee exhaled through her nose. “Yes. Jet, I did things I now know I shouldn’t have done. Trust me. I wouldn’t ever do something like that again-”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying,” Jet dismissed what she had started on with a wave of his hand. “I guess I’m just surprised. You don’t seem like you could….fight anyone. I’m assuming some fighting was involved. Was there?”

With a roll of her eyes and a small laugh, Ty Lee tugged on his hand, taking a step towards the shop. “I can handle myself plenty. Now come on, I want to see everyone!”

She practically dragged Jet inside the teashop. It was a wide open space, with several tables and chairs dotted here and there. It was already nearly packed, and for a moment, Ty Lee wondered where Katara was until spotting her practically behind the counter, hugging Iroh. Gone were his regal Fire Lord robes and hairpiece; he wore simple clothes, an apron over top, and he seemed genuinely happy.

Ty Lee did not go in for a hug when she greeted him- he was _royalty_ , and she did not know him well- and instead bowed respectfully to him; she was not prepared for him to bow to her in return, and nearly couldn’t speak from all the emotions whirling inside of her as he then spoke to Jet.

“It is a great joy to see you as yourself again,” Iroh was saying to Jet when her brain finally reset and allowed her to be a part of the moment once more. “I know that you may not remember me; we had met only once before, on the ferry to this great city so many months ago.”

The expression Jet wore was that of slight confusion; Ty Lee slipped her hand into his as his aura became muddy.

“I don’t- I don’t know if I do-”

Iroh held up a hand, a serene smile on his face. “It’s fine. I understand it is difficult for you to remember things now. It will come in time, when it’s supposed to.”

Katara was looking around the room, eyes dancing over the other patrons. “Are we the first ones here?”

“No, the last actually. Follow me; everyone is upstairs.” He waved an arm for them to come with him.

Around a corner gave way to a staircase, and up the stairs was another room, much more ornately furnished, with a pai sho table, low tables to sit at, more comfortable seating. But most importantly, inside the room was _everyone_.

Ty Lee’s eyes lit up as she looked about the room; at Sokka and Toph arm wrestling, to Aang and Zuko in some sort of discussion and oblivious to their surroundings, to the pai sho table, where there was Suki and-

“ _Mai!”_

Ty Lee could not contain her excitement, brushing past Iroh and Katara to fling herself at her childhood friend. She had given her absolutely no time to register what was happening before Mai found herself wrapped tightly in Ty Lee’s arms.

“I missed you so much!” Ty Lee gushed, giving Mai one tight squeeze before stepping back (because Mai always claimed to hate her hugs, even though Ty Lee knew that was a lie). “The north pole was so- so _different_! How are you? Have you been okay?”

Mai had her usual expression when dealing with Ty Lee at her most excitable; feigned irritation only barely masking the fondness she clearly had for her. “I’ve been fine, Ty Lee. How are….. What is happening with our boyfriends?”

Ty Lee _almost_ questioned how Mai had known that she and Jet were official (because they were, weren’t they?), until her eyes rested on the two of them. As Katara was busy hugging Aang, Zuko had risen to his feet and was just staring at Jet, who was looking at him as if he’d seen a ghost. A strange silence settled over the room as it became apparent that _something_ was going on between them.

It was Jet who spoke first.

“ _Lee?_ ”

* * *

From there, everyone caught up on what they all had been up to, and there was so much. Zuko had officially been crowned Fire Lord, Mai was still working on recovering all her memories. Ty Lee had excitedly told her about how well the waters of the Spirit Oasis had worked on Jet, that hopefully she could find the same success with them, until Katara had pointed out that Mai might not be warmly received there. Suki had been regrouping with the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors, and had apparently started training them to chi block.

Jet had a surprising amount of questions about chi blocking once it was revealed that Ty Lee had been the one to teach Suki how to do it. The two became engrossed in conversation about melee fighting; he was intrigued by the use of fans as weapons, which Suki was more than happy to explain the benefits of.

The afternoon drifted into the evening, and Ty Lee was beyond content.

Everything was so perfect. Everything was calm, everyone was happy. Ty Lee looked around the private upper room of the Jasmine Dragon, doing everything she could to suppress a squeal as Zuko- the _Fire Lord_ \- served tea to everyone, because that was just about the most endearing image she could ever conjure of him. Mai and Suki were playing pai sho, while Jet and Katara were teasing Sokka for the drawing he was attempting. Off to the side, Toph was engrossed in conversation with Iroh.

Everyone’s auras were melding together, blurring into a beautiful rainbow, becoming one, a family. Ty Lee was a part of this strange found family. It felt good. It felt right.

“Are you okay?”

Aang had come up beside her, apparently stepping in through the sliding door that led out onto a spacious balcony.

“Yep!” she grinned at him. “Yes, everything is perfect. Everyone’s auras are hugging; it’s so pretty.”

The smile Aang gave her was almost serene. “Everything is pretty perfect,” he agreed. “You know, the sun’s setting, and there’s a great view on the balcony. Want to watch it with me?”

“Mm-hmm!” With one last glance at Jet (who had started casually talking with Zuko), Ty Lee followed Aang out the sliding doors.

He wasn’t lying. As the sun began to dip below the horizon, the sky had turned brilliant pink with oranges and reds, reminding Ty Lee of the sunrise on Ember Island.

“It’s so pink! And the clouds are so fluffy looking, like spun candy!” She giggled to herself, looking at Aang. “Do clouds feel like spun candy? You’ve touched one, right?”

“I have, but they’re not so fluffy, just wet. I think they’re just made of water, and that’s why rain comes from them.”

“Oh.” Ty Lee had never actually considered that. It was nicer to think of them as candy fluff.

A comfortable silence settled between them. Ty Lee opted to sit on the rail of the balcony, hugging one knee to her chest and allowing her other leg to dangle over the other side.

“You’re not scared to fall?” Aang asked. “Mai wasn’t too comfortable being so close to the edge earlier.”

“Nope. Not afraid of heights at all. But I guess that makes sense, huh?” She gave Aang a knowing look.

“Yeah….” Aang hopped onto the rail as well, sitting beside her. “Hey…. I didn’t get the chance to tell you everything the lion turtle told me, did I?”

With a small frown, Ty Lee shook her head.

“He told me about energy bending. That’s how I was able to take Azula’s bending away; I bent her life energy,” he explained. “Everyone has life energy, not just benders. And the lion turtle, he taught me not just how to take bending away, but to give bending as well.”

As he had been talking, Ty Lee had looked out over the sea of roofs and houses, at the colors of the sky. But, at that last part, she looked sharply at him.

Aang was staring at her, and Ty Lee did not need her ability to read auras to know that the intensity of what he was preparing to say was weighing on him.

“Ty Lee…. Do you want to be an airbender?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, I ended on a cliff hanger! Don't worry, all ends that were not tied up will be addressed in the sequel.
> 
> I really appreciate everyone who gave this fic a chance; it's a very uncommon pairing with a fairly common plot, so I know it's easy to overlook. But you didn't! And I really do appreciate you, dear reader. 
> 
> Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it, and that you'll keep an eye out for the sequel, Kiss the Sky.
> 
> Also, I have a Tumblr. [Here it is.](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/soozenwrites) Follow me for updates and general fandom nonsense.
> 
> Please let me know what you thought; of this chapter, of the whole story.
> 
> And, because I can't say it enough, thank you for reading. <3


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